Guide To The Wild Side
by darkalbino
Summary: When good boy Sasuke gets into a heated arguement with his father, he decides to do something drastic to get back at him. In comes Naruto and the gang, the bad boys of the school, who Sasuke starts hanging out with. SasuNaru, full summary inside
1. Prologue

**Title: **Guide To The Wild Side

**Rating: **M **  
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**Author: **darkalbino

**Summary: **All his life, Sasuke Uchiha has been handsome, intelligent, popular, rich, and ultimately: perfect. He is regrettably in line with his brother, Itachi, for gaining control of Uchiha Corp. as soon as he finishes high school, something he sternly does not plan on doing, as for some reason from his past, he detests anything that places him with his brother. After a heated argument with his father over inheriting the company, Sasuke decides the only way to get out of it would be to ruin his reputation so he seems ill-fit to run his father's business. Sasuke seeks helps from the biggest school outcast, Naruto Uzumaki, and his friends, Gaara and Kiba, in order to help gain a "delinquaint" status. But Sasuke ends up biting off more than he can chew, as Naruto shows him that there's more to life than just money and school-books. And how will Sasuke cope, when Naruto's sorrowful past acts as a barrier when Sasuke's feelings for Naruto gradually change to something he's never felt for anyone before? **  
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**Warnings: **Yaoi, mild violence, SasuNaru, drug possession, sexual abuse, strong language.**  
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**Disclaimer: **You know I don't own it ;A;**

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**xxxGuide To The Wild Sidexxx**

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Prologue

A dark haired teen lay quiet on his bed, black eyes closed as he silently listened to the music pulsing in his ears through a pair of headphones; the vibrations from the set coursing from his head to his toes like the beat of tiny wings throughout his body.

It was because of the throbbing noise, that he did not hear footsteps pounding up the stairs, nor the door to his room being thrown open and slamming against the wall.

Only opening his eyes when he felt the feather weight of a paper flutter to his chest and the angry boom of a "Sasuke!" that filtered through the music.

He plucked the buds out of his ears and looked up questioningly at his father, who simply pointed at the paper he'd dropped on his chest with a set jaw.

Blinking twice, he picked up the parchment and read it slowly:

_**Mr. Uchiha Sasuke,**_

_**Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted and welcomed into our establishment...**  
_  
He stopped reading right there and grumbled a curse, glancing up at his fuming father, who was glaring death at him.

"What the hell is this?"

Sasuke looked back at the paper longingly, "My college application...I got accepted."

Normally, such words would elate a parent, but this was not the case with Uchiha Fugaku.

The man clenched his fists, "We've gone over this Sasuke. You are not attending any damn college to become a psychiatrist."

"_Physician_."

"It doesn't matter! You are going to inherit Uchiha Corp., along with your brother, and continue building the Uchiha name!"

Sasuke stood up from his bed, his baggy sweatpants falling a bit to reveal a pale hipbone. "I don't _want _to run the company," was the biting thing that left his mouth, "and I don't want to inherit _anything _with that bastard," he muttered defensively.

His father slammed a balled fist on Sasuke's computer desk, the items placed on it rattling from the action, as if in fear. "I don't give a fuck _what _you want." Fugaku stated through grit teeth. "You don't have a choice. You've had enough training and high enough marks, more than what you need to jump straight from high school to the company." He leaned forward threateningly, "And as long as you live under _my _roof and use _my _money, you will follow _my _rules and _my _plans!" he bellowed.

The boy notably stiffened.

Fugaku pointed a finger at the paper clasped in his son's fingers, "Now rip that shit up and come downstairs for dinner," were his parting words before leaving and shutting the door far harder than necessary.

Sasuke stood unmoving with a deep frown, his hands shaking with suppressed fury at his sides.

He glanced at the acceptance letter and folded it neatly before placing it inside a drawer under his clothes.

A disturbing smile contorted his features, and he turned around to stalk downstairs for dinner.


	2. Decisions

****

xxxChapter 1: Decisionsxxx

There are few things more amusing than the sight of Coke spurting out of Neji's nose, which is exactly what happened when Sasuke came out and told him about his 'plan.'

Neji quickly wiped a napkin under his nostrils, praying to God that no one had seen what had happened.

It was lunch time at Konoha High, and Sasuke had just informed his only friends, Neji, Shino, and Shikamaru, of his 'master plan' to finally get his controlling father off his back. Perhaps "friend" was too strong a word, they were more along the line of close acquaintances...or the only human beings outside his family that Sasuke deemed worthy of communicating with.

"You sure that's such a great idea?" Shino asked, and Sasuke responded with a nod.

Neji, still blushing from his incident, cocked his head and rested it on his palm. "You want to run that by me again? Perhaps my hearing is impaired, because I _thought _I heard you say that you were going to start hanging out with the failures at life?"

The Uchiha sighed and glanced at Neji. "Look, my father is only pressing me about running the company because my grades are highly above average, I don't get in trouble, and basically, I'm a good student, right? I'm a good son."

The other three tilted their heads in agreement.

"All right, so if I start slipping up in school and putting marks on my behavior record, maybe he'll see I'm _not _good for the job and leave me alone. And the only way to do that properly, is to start hanging out with the 'wrong crowd', a.k.a the idiotic morons." He gestured his hand to a group of three boys.

A blond, a brunet, and a stoic redhead. All three were sitting in a corner, the blond one leaning against a vending machine and drinking beer that was disguised in a bottle of Dr. Pepper. They were separated from the rest of the school, the outcasts, the troublemakers.

Neji raised a brow as he watched the brunet boy scarf down a tray of food. "I...suppose...it makes sense."

"Besides," Sasuke stated, "I always thought the blond one was rather good looking."

Shikamaru blinked incredulously. "You like Naruto?"

The Uchiha shook his head. "No, I just think he's easy on the eyes...unlike you all. Such a waste that he's an urchin."

The lazy boy snorted. "Maybe it'll be good not to have your self imposed superior, yet gloomy ass around us for a while."

Sasuke folded his arms and closed his eyes. "Don't try to lecture like you're better or happier than me you _lazy _ass."

Shino butted into the growing quarrel, "How do you know they will allow you to join them?"

Sasuke gave him a curious look. "Why wouldn't they? I'm me, and they're..." he glanced at the three, "they're _them_."

"I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you," Shikamaru warned. "They aren't the Uchiha fangirls that grovel at your feet and kiss the ground you walk on."

Sasuke chuckled. "And for that, I am grateful."

Neji crossed his arms on the table. "So, when are you putting this into action?"

Sasuke smirked and stood up. "As soon as possible, bye you guys." He picked up his bag and walked off.

Shino shook his head sadly as he watched the boy go. "Poor guy...doesn't even know what he's getting himself into."

****

x-X-0-X-x

Kiba looked up from inhaling his food to see none other than the almighty Uchiha Sasuke walking towards them. He stared as the boy walked by tables with squealing girls begging him to sit down with them, but he ignored the calls and continued on his way.

Kiba jumped up next to the Naruto and grabbed his blond spikes, forcibly turning his head to the coming prodigy.

Blue eyes widened and he turned to Gaara, "What the hell does _he _want?"

He simply shrugged. "Let's see."

As if on cue, Sasuke reached them and held out a hand to Naruto, "Hello there."

Naruto slowly raised a questioning eyebrow at the hand and glanced at Kiba, who had a similar expression on his face. He shrugged and took another swig of his bottle, a couple of drops leaking from his lips and sinking into his dark blue shirt.

Sasuke recoiled his hand in disgust and looked to Kiba instead, who was smiling at the blond's oh so polite gesture. He tried again to hold his palm out in a welcoming manner, but quickly tugged it to his chest with a snarl at the stinging sensation that erupted when the boy high-fived him.

"'Sup!" the dog lover grinned.

Sasuke groaned and schooled his face to a stoic expression. He really didn't want to deal with these people. "Who's the leader here?"

More eyebrows shot up, "Leader?" Naruto repeated the word as if it had a foul taste.

"Yes, dobe, who's in charge?" he asked, already becoming frustrated.

Blond brows furrowed. "Hey! You can't just come over here and start insulting me you asshole!"

"Okay!" Kiba cut in before something broke out. "Um...I'm the leader...I guess."

"The hell? You're not in charge!"

"Be quiet Naruto."

Sasuke's attention flew to Gaara, as those were the first words he'd spoken.

Kiba muttered a "geez" before yanking on Sasuke's arm and dragging him away from the other two.

When they were out of hearing distance, he let go and spoke. "So why the hell are you trying to start trouble with us? What do you want?"

Sasuke ignored the accusation for the moment. "I want to join you."

Kiba blinked. "What do you think we are? A cult?"

Sasuke let out a low growl and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a heavy, calming breath. He _definitely _did not want to deal with these people. "Look, I want to...hang out with you guys, okay?" Ouch. So _that's_ what it feels like to have your pride hit by an atomic bomb.

Kiba glared in suspicion. "Why all of a sudden?"

"My reasons are personal."

Kiba crossed his arms. "Well, if you won't tell me, why should we even consider?"

Sasuke smirked. "Because if you let me join, I will give you all full access to my account...through me."

Brown eyes widened. "You mean money?"

"My account."

"Money."

Sasuke frowned. "...Yes, money." He blinked and squinted, then slowly raised a finger and pointed at Kiba's eyes, "Are those..._cash _symbols?"

"Hold that thought! I'll be right back!" Kiba hurried off back to the other two.

Sasuke smirked and crossed his arms, "Money, is there no problem you can't solve?"

"So," Gaara asked when Kiba came running back to them, "what does he want?"

"To 'join' us."

Naruto frowned, "What the hell does he think we are? A gang?"

Kiba shrugged. "He wants to start hanging out with us."

The blond snorted. "No, I don't like him."

Gaara stood up and they formed a small circle. "Why does he want to spend time with us?"

"Dunno, said it was 'personal' stuff."

"Even more reason to tell him to fuck off!" Naruto shouted.

Kiba sighed and looked over his shoulder to see Sasuke waiting quietly and patiently, he gestured him over with his hand and the raven boy came up to them in slow strides.

Naruto frowned and crossed his arms, turning away from the group.

Kiba groaned at the blond's attitude. He glanced at Gaara, "He says that if we let him...er...'join', he'll buy us whatever we want."

Gaara looked up at Sasuke. "Is this true?"

Sasuke nodded. "Let me along and anything that has to do with cash, I'll pay for."

Kiba jumped up. "Yes! You're in!"

"No! He's not!" Naruto spun around and glared heatedly at Sasuke, "I don't like your stuck up pale ass! You _can't_ hang out with us!" he stated bluntly.

Sasuke moaned; this boy seemed to be more trouble than he was worth.

Gaara snorted softly and wrapped an arm around Naruto's shoulders, tugging him down slightly so he could speak into his ear. "Naruto, he says if we let him come, he'll buy us anything we want."

"So what? He can't bribe me with money!"

"But Naruto, he'll buy us toys."

Naruto flinched and locked eyes with Gaara. "...Toys?"

"Yeah, you know, those toys you've been wanting, but we couldn't get them?"

The Uchiha raised a brow. _Just what the hell kind of "toys" are they talking about?  
_  
Naruto looked up at Sasuke, "Oooh..._those _toys."

Sasuke nearly fell down when the blond lurched and practically hung himself from the Uchiha's neck. "Anything we want, right?"

The dark boy grunted while trying to remove the strangling arms. "_Yes_."

Naruto grinned feral-like. "So you, great Uchiha Sasuke, tight ass prince of the school, want to hang out with us and will buy us anything we want?"

Sasuke scowled at him and flicked his gaze away, not wanting to see that smug expression as he answered. "...Yes." God, his pride was really taking a beating today.

Before he knew what was happening, Sasuke suddenly got yanked down and pulled under the table. Naruto was clutching him tightly to his chest, as if in a protective manner.

Sasuke blushed when the blond's breath ghosted over his face, the stench of beer filling his senses, nearly making him choke. "What the hell are you doing?!" he yelled.

"Shhh..." Naruto whispered, turning his head slightly to the other, "The Apocalypse is coming..."

"Ugh!" Sasuke shoved the stupid baka off him and crawled out from under the table.

"Wait a minute you prickly asswipe!" Naruto called while crawling out as well.

Sasuke turned to him with a sneer. Out of all three boys, he'd firmly decided that he hated _this _one the most, ironic that it just happened to be the attractive one. "What?" he growled.

"You're not completely in yet." Naruto said with a smirk.

Sasuke frowned, "Why no-" he was cut off when the beer Naruto had been chugging down was shoved in his face, the brown liquid sloshing back and forth, making his stomach churn.

Naruto grinned and, making sure Sasuke watched, hacked up a glob of saliva and spit into the bottle, then held it out again. "You've gotta drink it," Naruto ordered, smiling wickedly. "Every. Last. Drop." He shook the bottle from side to side.

The poor Uchiha looked about ready to vomit. "...You've got to be kidding."

"I shit you not you ass - HEY!" Naruto yelped at a slap that came upside his head from Kiba, causing the drink to slip from his fingers and spill all over the ground.

"Don't be a dumb _fuck _Naruto!" the dog boy scolded.

Naruto's eyes teared at his spilt drink, and he glared up at Kiba. "You son of a bitch! That was my _lunch_!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes in a mixture of disgust and annoyance.

What the hell had he gotten himself into?


	3. Foreign

**xxxChapter 2: Foreignxxx**

Sasuke sat down on the first step of the stairwell, picking at a bagel that he'd bought from the cafeteria. He really wasn't hungry, didn't know why he got the thing. He sighed and dropped the crumbs so they scattered on the floor. "Probably just in the mood to spend some cash," he murmured.

He waited patiently for his new 'friends' to show up. Kiba had said that usually every morning, they meet at the stairwell. Of course, because no one was _near _the stairwell in the morning. The three idiots- well, really it was just two idiots, Gaara was just...strange -were very secluded from the rest of the school. It wasn't even like they put an effort into trying to meet people, but then again, no one tried to meet them either.

Sasuke never had any problems making friends, he'd just chosen _not _to have any. Neji, Shikamaru, and Shino were an exception, because they weren't rabid girls that only wanted to get into his pants. And in one way or another, he found a piece of himself in each of them, a similarity to each boy, and that made them bearable and easier to get along with. But as far as close friends, or 'best' friend, he'd never had, wanted, nor _needed _such a useless thing.

He was interrupted from his musings when he felt something light but solid plop on his head. He dropped his bagel and looked up to find a grinning blond, looking stupidly at him from the balcony of the stairwell. Sasuke's face scrunched up in disgust as the memory of the dobe spitting into the drink yesterday surfaced to the forefront of his mind...Had that idiot _spit _in his hair?! Pale fingers quickly reached up to dark locks, expecting to feel the smooth liquid of saliva, but instead he grasped something rather hard...and _sticky_.

His eyes widened in horror and he shot up from his step, glaring up at the still smiling blond. "You fucking loser! Get down here and take it out!"

Naruto laughed and held up an index finger, wagging it from side to side. "Silly prick, you can't just take _gum _out of your hair."

"Fucking..." Sasuke cursed as he flew up the stairs after the boy. But Naruto didn't seem intimidated by him, because he ran down to meet him halfway at the platform.

"What's wrong teme?" he teased with half-seriousness as they met face-to-face. "Did I ruin your precious long hours of working to make your hair look _just _right? Just how much time _does _your conceited, pristine ass spend in front of the mirror?"

The raven swore he was seeing red. This boy was the _embodiment _of trouble, and trouble had a tendency to piss Sasuke off. He grabbed the front of the blond's shirt, "Why the fuck are you messing with me?" he breathed.

Naruto's brows furrowed as he hooked his hands on the other's wrists. "Because I _hate _people like you! All of you thinking you're so much better than everyone else just because you're smart and you have shit-loads of money! You can all go to hell!"

Sasuke snarled and jerked him closer. "You better watch that fucking mouth of yours, usuratonkachi. Don't go and fucking _compare _me to other people when you don't even know me!"

Naruto growled and shoved the boy off of him, tired of having his shirt in his grip. "I know enough, you goddamn hypocrite. Telling me not to judge you 'cuz I don't know you, when you yourself judged me the moment you _saw _me! And you don't know one damn thing _about _me!"

Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but then shut it...The idiot was right, Sasuke _had _judged him and he knew very little about him, if anything at all...But just because he was right did not mean that was going to change anything.

Sasuke snorted and turned around to stalk back down the stairs, Naruto pouting and stomping angrily behind him.

When they reached the bottom, Sasuke was a bit surprised to see Kiba standing there with a grin. And he realized he had watched the whole thing between him and Naruto play out while Gaara stood next to him with an expressionless face.

The dog boy placed a hand in his back pocket, "I swear, you two are worse than an old married couple." He pulled his hand back out to reveal a brown, oval shaped object.

Sasuke raised a brow, but jumped back in shock when a blade popped out of the thing. "What the hell is that for?! That's a weapon! You can't bring that to schoo-" a tan hand clapped over his mouth and he spotted golden bangs out of the corner of his eye, which widened in panic.

"Shut the fuck up! Do you _want _everyone to hear?!" the blond yelled, "God, and you call _me _a dumbass?"

Kiba groaned and nodded at Naruto to hold him still.

Sasuke began thrashing, his mind set on the thought that these boys were right here, in the middle of school, intending to _kill _him!

Naruto wrapped his other arm around the flailing boy's torso. "Damn it Uchiha, will you stop squirming?!"

But Sasuke continued to struggle. And when Kiba yanked at his hair and tugged it back, an image of his throat slit and spilling blood flooded his mind. A tear slipped out and his eyes screwed shut, but just as suddenly as the pressure was there, it was gone, and Naruto released him.

Sasuke blinked a few times, disoriented, before catching eye of something that Kiba was holding up.

It was his hair, the piece with the gum stuck on it. Sasuke's fingers carded through his locks and felt an uneven patch of hair near the back. He blushed furiously.

Kiba sighed and stuffed the pocket knife back where it came from with a grin. "Wow, you are such a pussy."

Sasuke frowned at him, "I am not a...a..." he trailed off, not able to bring himself to say such a crude word.

"A pussy." Naruto finished or him. He raised his palms encouragingly, "C'mon teme, you can do it, it's only two syllables."

Sasuke shot him a glare, "I will not stoop to your level by saying such a vulgar word."

Naruto sniffed and placed his hands on his hips. "Oh no? You seemed pretty fond of 'fuck' a few minutes ago."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the blond, but glanced at Gaara when the red-head called to him. "Why do want to hang out with us, when you don't even trust us?"

The raven started, not entirely sure what to say in response right away. But after a moment, he answered, "I don't even know you people. What was I supposed to think when I saw dog breathe here pull out a pocket knife, and this baka blonde grabbing me from behind? I panicked."

Kiba snorted. "Well you need to calm your ass down. As low as you may think of us, we're not murderers here, so you can relax." He tossed the lock of hair to some random spot on the floor, half expecting Uchiha fan-girls to dive in and fight for it.

All thoughts and speech were interrupted by the two minute warning bell. Sasuke stood still for a second before picking up his backpack and beginning to walk away.

"And just where the hell are you going?"

The boy in question turned around and raised a brow at the blond. "I know you're stupid, but c'mon, you can't be _that _dense dobe."

Naruto's cheeks puffed out in anger at the insult, but he took a breath and smiled to calm himself. "We're not going to class today."

"What?" Sasuke asked in confusion, "What do you mean we're not going to class?"

Kiba actually started chuckling and Gaara gave a half smile, but nothing compared to the grinning blond. "It's called 'playing hookey.' Ever heard of it, asswipe?"

Sasuke frowned. "You mean skipping?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "No tight ass, I mean swimming." he muttered, the words dripping with sarcasm. "Of course I mean _skipping_!"

Sasuke scowled at him. "Well what the hell are we going to skip for? Nothing good will come from that."

Naruto gaped at him. "I think the more serious question is, why the hell _don't_ you want to skip?"

"Think moron. Why in the fuck am I going to waste a day of work where I'll just come back and have to make up all the work _anyway_, giving me _twice _as much work?"

"You really are a prick, aren't you? We're skipping, that's it, get over it."

"I don't-"

Kiba cut in, "When you agreed to hang out with us, you also agreed to the way we do things. So if we're skipping, then sorry man, you're coming too. Besides," he grinned, "what if we need you to buy something for us? I don't think you want to trust us with your money when we're all by ourselves, ne?"

"Yeah Uchiha, you're pretty fuck damn loaded. Can't say we won't go all out with the money freedom you give us." Naruto added tauntingly. Truthfully, he didn't want the douche to go with them, but he knew that if he was forced to come, it would piss Sasuke off tremendously. So he could put up with it, as long as Sasuke suffered.

The dark teen contemplated the idea for a moment, studying Naruto's face. And it was while doing this, that he noticed something he was shocked he hadn't noticed before.

Naruto had six marks on his face. Three thin, faint, black lines that ran along each cheek, looking something akin to whisker marks. Why the hell hadn't he noticed that before?

He tilted his head and stepped up to the boy, poking his cheek with a finger and a frown.

Naruto sputtered when the finger touched his cheek and he slapped it away, "Hey hey! Personal space dick!"

Sasuke ignored the comment, and instead asked rather bluntly (rudely), "What the hell are those marks on your face?"

Faster than anything Sasuke had ever seen, Naruto's face drained of all color, looking as if he had been stabbed. He placed a hand on the side of his face and hung his head down, bangs shadowing his eyes. Kiba was staring at the Uchiha with a wide, shocked gaze. And Gaara was giving him a glare so foul, he was surprised he didn't explode or burst into flames.

He thought of the only sensible thing to say in his confused state, "What?"

"You insensitive _ass_!" Kiba barked, while Gaara's fingers twitched with some suppressed need.

Fuck, what did he do?

The quiet blond's head suddenly snapped up. "Don't you come _anywhere _with us, you son of a fucking bitch." he muttered angrily, then turned and walked away, hand still cupping his face.

Sasuke was surprised when he realized that the words had actually pained him a bit, evoked an uncomfortable turn in his stomach.

He obviously had hurt the boy, hit a nerve...but why the hell did he care?


	4. Misunderstandings

**xxxChapter 3: Misunderstandingsxxx**

Sasuke soon realized that the reason he felt bad for Naruto, that feeling that pinched his gut, was guilt. He hardly, if ever, felt such an emotion. Just what the hell did he have to feel guilty about? He hadn't done anything, not on purpose anyway. Damn the boy for being so fucking sensitive! How was Sasuke supposed to know that the marks were a delicate subject?

But knowing or not knowing, ultimately, he felt guilty and, dare he admit it, perhaps a tad bit _remorseful_. Nobody had ever been able to draw out reactions so easily from him. From confusion, to anger, to guilt...stupid dobe.

Luckily for him, Kiba had caught up with Naruto and started up a "let's talk about it" conversation with him. Out of hearing distance. The blond's hand was still on his cheek as he spoke softly to the other boy, but his anger seemed to be cooling down.

There was a nagging at the back of Sasuke's mind, something urging him to go..._apologize_ to Naruto. Half because he really wanted to and half because Gaara, who had been left behind, was glaring at him with a seemingly murderous intent. And quite frankly, it was a damn scary thing to be pinned under.

The red head suddenly took a few steps so he was standing right in front of the Uchiha, fist balled. "Let me make something perfectly clear," he murmured, voice dripping with venom. "Naruto is like a brother to me. He doesn't much like the idea of you spending time with us, but believe it or not, he is willing to try and put up with it."

Sasuke snorted. "Well he sure has one hell of a way of showing it."

Gaara's eyes narrowed at being interrupted. "Listen Uchiha, it'd be wise to watch what you say around him. Because if you hurt him again, whether it be physical or emotional pain, despite what Kiba or Naruto say, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Sasuke's eyes widened as the other boy turned away from him, the chilling words dampening the air. "Was...was that a _threat_?" he forced out, shocked.

Gaara did not even turn back to him, "A promise."

The raven's blood ran cold, suddenly feeling very unnerved from being left alone with someone who was obviously a psychotic madman.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kiba and Naruto coming back to them, and relief flowed through his veins.

The late bell rang.

**x-X-0-X-x**

"Where are we going?"

"Aeon."

Sasuke raised a brow at the blond. "The mall?" He wasn't very fond of malls. There was too much..._motion_, too many people and it was always far too crowded. "You all need something there?"

Naruto shot him an annoyed look, "Why does everything have to be about money or school with you? We're just going to hang out and screw around, you know, have fun...oh wait..." A tan hand waved dismissively through the air, "Never mind, I forgot, you're a prick."

Sasuke glared at him. "I am growing very tired of your insults, _baka_."

Naruto snorted and grinned. "Hey prick, when you take Viagra, do you grow taller?"

Sasuke's eye twitched but he ignored the comment. "What is there to do at a shopping place, that doesn't include buying things?"

The blond rolled his eyes, "Jeez, you had a deprived childhood didn't you?"

He smirked, "At least I grew _out _of my childhood."

Naruto spun around with a scowl to face him, "Well I'm in no hurry to grow up if I'll turn into a snobby, cold hearted bastard like you!"

Sasuke just continued smirking. For some reason, he found it enjoyable to piss Naruto off, fun even. "And may I ask, why are we walking?"

"C'mon teme, you don't want to turn into a fatass by riding around in an expensive car all the time, do you? What would your precious fangirls think?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and tilted his head upward. "Tch, if that's all I have to do to get them away from me, then let me rent a scooter when we get there to ride around in. I'll be sure to gain so much weight, my blood type would change to 'Ragu.'"

Naruto and Kiba stopped walking, causing the other two to still as well.

Suddenly, Naruto's lip twitched up into a smile, and he began chuckling, Kiba being no different. But the chuckling slowly grew into full blown laughter, to the point where Naruto was holding his sides from the image of a morosely obese Sasuke sitting on a little scooter, flabs of fat falling off the edges of his seat.

Sasuke frowned, but not at the fact that they were laughing at him...but the fact that he felt..._pride _well up at knowing that he was the _cause _of that laughter. It was his first time hearing Naruto's laugh. Not a chuckle or a snicker, but actual laughter. He found the sound to be...melodic.

Sasuke placed a hand on his middle and gripped his shirt tightly, eyes transfixed on the laughing blond as his stomach gave an uncomfortable flutter.

**x-X-0-X-x**

They were at Aeon, and Sasuke had been forced to buy everyone ice-cream. Except for Gaara of course, who when offered, had simply closed his eyes, shook his head and turned away from the group.

But Naruto and Kiba couldn't be happier, hurriedly licking away at their cold treats.

Much to his dismay, Sasuke couldn't tear his eyes away as Naruto lapped up the vanilla substance, white droplets dotting his face. The guy might be a complete and total moron, but that didn't make him any less attractive. Physically. And hey, Sasuke was allowed to look, he'd _bought _the damn ice-cream anyway.

When both boys finished, they stopped walking and threw their napkins in a trash bin. The blond licked the last remainders of the cream from his fingers, a pink tongue darting out to lick the tip of each digit. And despite himself, Sasuke felt heat drip straight to his groin from the sight.

Naruto turned to Kiba. "So, where to now?"

He shrugged, "Dunno, something you wanna do?"

Naruto looked up thoughtfully and brought a finger to his chin, tapping it lightly while he pondered the question. Then he grinned and looked at Sasuke, "We could get those toys now, _you're_ paying anyway."

Kiba brightened up considerably. "Yes! C'mon!" He grabbed Naruto's wrist and pulled him in another direction, calling back for Gaara and Sasuke to follow.

Sasuke was still apprehensive about these "toys" everyone kept going on about. He looked up at Naruto, who was chatting animatedly with Kiba not too far ahead of him. "I want the really big one! You know, the one with the pump!" He was waving his arms around frantically, chattering like it was going out of style.

"Yeah," Kiba agreed, "I like the durable ones! They last for _months _and you can use them over and over again!"

Naruto nodded excitedly. "Yeah, my old one broke after the second time I used it." He folded his hands behind his head with a wide smile, "Guess I was a little rough."

With each word they said, Sasuke felt himself grow redder and redder. They couldn't be talking about what he _thought _they were talking about, right? They wouldn't make him buy things like that...right?

Naruto placed his hands in a manner to look like he was holding something. "I like it when it vibrates from the pressure, and then..." he shoved his hands in the air, "it COMES OUT! And you feel _great_!"

Sasuke flushed when an image of Naruto lying naked and sweating on a bed flashed in his mind. A "toy" shoved up his arse, and moans flying from his lips as he arched and pushed it inside himself. He groaned and rubbed a palm against his forehead, '_This is so wrong.'_

He was pulled out of his thoughts when they stopped in front of a store. Sasuke looked up slowly, only to be met with the name "X Toys" in black, bold, loud letters.

He heard Naruto say, "It's a great workout for your arm, pushing it in and out like that" as he walked in.

Sasuke shut his eyes as he followed the other footsteps, refusing to believe he was going to go through with this.

"Hey teme, how come you got your eyes closed?"

"Why are you making me buy this shit?!" Sasuke blurted.

Naruto frowned. "Hey wait a minute! You said you would buy us whatever we wanted!"

"But...but I can't buy you _this_!"

"What the hell do you have against waterguns?"

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, "Waterguns?" he parroted in confusion.

Naruto placed his hands on his hips with a frown. "Yes, waterguns, what the hell did you think we were talking about?"

Sasuke took in his surroundings with wandering eyes.

There was nothing sexual _about _this place; action figures, playing cards, dolls, it was a regular toy store.

Red with fury and embarrassment, Sasuke threaded fingers through his hair and gripped a fistful of it. "What the hell kind of toy store names itself 'X Toys?'" he growled through clenched teeth.

Naruto looked up from the watergun he was testing in his hands. "I thought you were supposed to be smart? It's like in algebra, 'x' can stand for any number, well here, 'x' stands for any toy, tch, dumbass." He went back to inspecting the gun.

Sasuke groaned and placed his fingers at his temples, rubbing them in a slow circular motion to ward off the pending headache. "Maybe I should rethink this plan."

A giant watergun suddenly got shoved to his chest, a grinning blond behind it. "I want this one."

**x-X-0-X-x**

After buying the guns, all four boys left Aeon, and Naruto led them to a park.

What for? A water fight of course.

Kiba, Naruto and Sasuke filled up there guns at the lake in the center of the park before walking to the middle of a field of grass that was surrounded by trees and scattered picnic benches.

Gaara sat on a bench on the sidelines. Water gun fights, like most social activities, just weren't his thing.

Sasuke's eye twitched in annoyance at the "weapon" he'd been given. "This _can't_ be fair," he muttered under his breath. He had a tiny squirt gun for his arsenal, like the one's you get in goody bags at kids' birthday parties. A pitiful sight compared to Naruto and Kiba's monstrous waterguns that held gallons of the liquid.

Naruto suddenly yelled, "Break!" and him and Kiba dashed off in different directions, lacing through the blur of trees in the park, leaving a stunned and confused Sasuke behind.

Before he even grasped what was going on, Sasuke got jabbed by a stream of water square in his back, the liquid completely soaking his shirt that now clung to his body as if in hunger.

"Fucking!" He spun around in anger and pointed his small gun to a running Kiba. He grinned and made to pull the trigger when another blast of water struck him in the back of his head, drenching his hair.

Mortified at being played with, he whirled around but got tackled to the earth, Naruto straddling him with a huge grin. His golden locks were dripping with perspiration and water that caressed his marred cheeks and curved down to his chin before falling and sinking into his already soaked shirt (guess Kiba got him). He was breathing heavily, watergun tip staring the raven in the face.

Sasuke licked his suddenly too dry lips, "Naruto..." He jerked suddenly, realizing that was the first time he had ever used the other's name.

But Naruto didn't seem to catch that fact, "Don't try to talk your way out of it, teme." He pushed the gun to brush the tip of Sasuke's nose.

The Uchiha's breathing increased noticeably as he felt Naruto's hips move against his when he pushed the weapon. "Naruto I'm...sorry." He had to put in a conscious effort not to clap a hand over his mouth or let his lips part in shock, as the apology had tumbled out with just as much permission from Sasuke as a muscle twitch or an intake of breath.

Blue eyes widened and Naruto's grip went slack. "Sorry? I know you're an ass, but you don't have to be _sorry _about it."

Sasuke shook his head, feeling incredibly awkward. "No, your marks...I'm sorry about what I said earlier...I didn't know it was a sensitive subject."

Naruto frowned and pulled the gun up, his other hand resting on Sasuke's chest, which was moving quickly beneath his fingers. "Well I'll be damned...an Uchiha apologizing to me..." His lips tilted upward, "Shit, maybe the Apocalypse really _is _coming."

Sasuke smirked and squirted the other's face with his tiny gun. "Shut up, dobe."

The blond sputtered before laughter tore from his lips.

The stoic boy's mouth twitched to a small smile, drinking in the sound of that laughter.

And he decided: if he liked one thing about Naruto besides his looks, it was his laugh.

* * *

**Hehehehe, waterguns B]**


	5. Blooming Part One

**xxxChapter 4: Blooming (Part One)xxx**

The water fight eventually came to a close, with a very unhappy Sasuke who was drenched to the core.

"So," he glanced at Naruto, "fun enough for you, Sasuke?"

The pale boy felt heat color his cheeks. Naruto may not have noticed when _Sasuke _had first used his name, but Sasuke sure as _hell _just realized that Naruto had called him by his.

Why? Why would he catch something like that? He thought about it for a moment, but then just shrugged it off, labeling it as another strange effect the blond had on him.

Naruto blew a damp bang out of his eyes. "Hey Kiba, what time is it?"

"Hm?" Kiba looked at his watch, "2:10."

"Huh...you guys wanna go grab a bite?" He eyed Sasuke with a smile, "On Sasuke of course."

The raven felt his heart speed up and his palms grow warm, but he managed to keep his attitude indifferent and his expression impassive. "Sure," he muttered. Why the hell was this boy, this..._nobody_, able to pull out such reactions from him? He hadn't even touched him and he still broke out in sweat when the other spoke.

"Right then, how's BK?"

Kiba nodded eagerly in agreement, while Sasuke and Gaara's faces scrunched up slightly in distaste.

Naruto smiled, "BK it is then!"

**x-X-0-X-x**

Sasuke reached over the tiny table and snatched one of Naruto's fries.

"H-Hey! You ass! That's mine!" The blond sputtered.

He simply smirked and dipped the fry in the other's ketchup. "C'mon dobe, they aren't healthy for you anyway," he shoved it in his mouth.

"Bastard...you keep your anorexic ass away from my food!" He took a huge chomp out of his burger, as if to back up his accusation that Sasuke was some sort of bulimic girl.

Sasuke sniffed at him and uninterestedly looked down at his salad. It wasn't that he didn't _like_...greasy food, he just didn't prefer it. "Why in the world would you pick this grease-house to eat at anyway?"

"Shut up and be happy I didn't say ramen stand, which was my first choice."

"So, Sasuke,"

He turned his attention to Kiba. "What?"

"Not that I'm...complaining, but exactly how long do you plan on staying with us?"

Sasuke shrugged, "As long as I have to."

Naruto placed his elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his palm. "You never _did _tell us why you wanted to hang out with us in the first place."

Gaara turned his head slightly in Sasuke's direction, but he was looking down.

The raven let out a sigh and crossed his arms on the table. "I'm..." he sighed softly, momentarily wondering whether or not he should really share his plan with these people. He decided that it couldn't hurt, considering they were already on bad terms. "I'm trying to ruin my reputation as a perfect student."

Naruto frowned, cobalt eyes darkening. "And you think that being seen with us will do that for you?" he stated, more in fact than question.

Sasuke closed his eyes and tilted his head. "I'll admit, the rumors around school and the things people say about you all aren't exactly truthful, but still," he held up a hand, "skipping school, bringing pocket knives and drinking, you guys aren't exactly role models." With each reason he flicked up a finger.

Kiba's brows crumpled. "Look, we know we're not perfect, we don't try to be, but why do you suddenly want to screw up your life when it's going so good for you?"

Sasuke snorted, "Don't let appearances fool you." He bit his lip for a second and released it with a breath, opening his eyes again to stare at the three. "I'm assuming you know of my father, Uchiha Fugaku?"

"Oh yeah," Naruto looked up thoughtfully, "that rich guy that owns Uchiha Corp., right?"

"Yeah," he folded his hands in front of his face, "me and him don't exactly see eye to eye. He wants me to inherit the business right after graduation, along with my bastard brother. I've told him over and over, too many times to count, that I don't _want _the company or anything to do with my brother. I want to study and become a physician."

Naruto nodded. "That's a good plan, what's the problem?"

"Well, my fucking father doesn't give three shits what I want, _that's_ the problem. And if I go off to college against his wishes, he'll cut off my access to his money and I wouldn't have any way to pay for my classes. I would have to devote less time to them by getting a job. So I figured, if I taint my grades and my behavior, maybe he would back off. He isn't going to want some troublemaker running his company, he'd _pay _me to leave."

Kiba grinned, "Oh I see...you want to learn to be bad, is that right?"

Sasuke flinched, "Well I-"

"So," Naruto leaned over the table with a breathy chuckle, staring the other in the face and immediately shutting him up while bringing a faint blush to his cheeks. "The little Uchiha wants to learn how to be wild." He looked at Kiba, "Could be fun, ne?" he sat back down.

Sasuke regained his composure and cleared his throat, "Well, since I've already gone and skipped school," he smiled, "I was thinking...why not take it a step further and not go home either?"

Kiba blinked, "What do you mean?"

Sasuke raised a hand, palm-up as he explained. "I've never stayed out all night before, that's sure to piss him off."

"Oh!" Kiba exclaimed with understanding flashing in his eyes. "You know, that's not a bad idea."

"That is of course," he swept his hand over the three boys, "with the consent that I can stay with one of you."

"Sure man, no problem!" Kiba yelled as he smacked a hand on Naruto's back, "Naruto here will take care of you!"

The blond's head did a 180, "WHAT?!"

He nodded with a toothy grin, "Yup, Naruto'll take you in."

Sasuke smirked half heartedly. "Great."

"That is such _BULLSHIT_! Why do _I _have to take him?!" Naruto complained loudly.

"Because you two just get along so well."

"The fuck? No we don't!"

"Exactly, good chance for you guys to get to know each other." Kiba flicked his eyes between them, "Don't glare at me like that damn it! You two have got the most problems out of all of us! Make some love, give peace, and become friends."

"When hell freezes over!" The blond screamed with determination, slamming a palm against the table for extra measure.

Kiba grinned and folded his hands behind his head while closing one eye. "Well then, pull out some blankets, cuz hell's freezin' tonight!"

Naruto groaned and hung his head back over the chair, "You son of a bitch..."

**x-X-0-X-x**

Well, since Sasuke was staying with Naruto, they had decided to part ways from Kiba and Gaara...Truthfully, it was more like Kiba forced them too, but who needs details?

"Now where are we going?" Sasuke drawled.

Naruto flicked his gaze to the other boy, "Teme, you sound like a little kid." He suddenly gasped, "Let's go to the arcade!" and finished excitedly with balled fists.

The Uchiha rolled his eyes and grinned. "Oh yes, _I _sound like a little kid."

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto ordered angrily, "I like the arcade!"

"Oh I'm sure you do dobe."

Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. "I'm going to have to change that bastard attitude of yours."

Sasuke simply smirked and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he continued walking beside the blond.

"Hey, you know what" Naruto murmured, poking the Uchiha in his side, "I'm hungry."

Sasuke smacked his hand away and shot him a disbelieving look. "You can't be serious, you _just _ate."

Naruto scowled and shoved the other boy's shoulder. "Look dick, it's not my fault that I'm a bottomless pit okay?"

Sasuke shoved him back slightly with a scowl. "It's ridiculous dobe, you eat like a starving African child."

Naruto threw his head back and pressed his palms over his eyes, "God! You are _such _an _asshole_!" He lowered his hands and glared at the Uchiha, "You're just jealous of my healthy appetite!"

"Fatbitchsayswhat?"

Naruto blinked at the string of words in confusion, "What?"

Sasuke dropped his head and snorted a laugh. "Nothing."

**x-X-0-X-x**

Sasuke stared with mild interest as Naruto took another bite out of his pizza, the gooey cheese following his mouth as he pulled away.

He let out a 'tsk', "I swear, you are the messiest thing I have ever met."

Naruto frowned and put his food down, vaguely listening to the squeals of playing children around the arcade. "I'm not a 'thing' you ass, I'm a person. What happened to the less of a douchebag version of yourself that apologized to me earlier?"

Sasuke shrugged and bit his own pizza, then picked up a napkin to wipe the grease off his perfect face.

"Agh, will you stop doing that?" Naruto growled.

He paused, "What?"

"You wipe that fucking thing across you face after every bite, it's annoying. Why can't you just wait to the end and lick yourself like normal people?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the moronic comment. "Baka, napkins were invented so you _don't_ have to use your tongue like some sort of animal."

"Well you know what? It's a waste of food! All those poor hungry kids out there that would _eat _your damn napkin just 'cuz its got some cheese left on it from being wiped across your mouth." His hand flitted over his lips to express his words.

Sasuke blinked, "Right...because it's _my _job to feed the poor," he muttered sarcastically.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, "Are you _afraid _to lick your fingers?"

"Naruto, why the hell am I going to _lick _my fingers, when I can just _wipe _them?"

The younger boy rolled his azure eyes in disbelief. "I swear to God, you are the biggest pussy I have ever met. You and your pristine self need to go and get a life...Give me your hand," he demanded.

"What?"

"Your hand," he pointed, "the left one."

Sasuke raised a brow and slowly lifted his hand to give it to the boy.

Naruto grinned and leaned in a bit, taking a pale finger that was slightly covered with tomato sauce into his mouth and giving it a hard suck.

Sasuke's mouth dropped and he felt a faint throbbing sensation come to life in his pants. When Naruto rolled a tongue over the finger, he yanked it out and pulled it to his chest, "What the hell was that?!"

Naruto licked his bottom lip and sat back down. "Calm down, it's just saliva, it won't kill you, look at your finger."

Sasuke glanced at his treated digit, finding it perfectly clean and glistening with Naruto's spit.

The blond placed his hands behind his neck in a triumphant manner, "If you really want to change Sasuke, you're going to have to change things about _yourself _as well, not just put up an act for your father. See if you can do it _without _my help next time, it's actually pretty simple. Pop it in and pop it out, kinda like sex. Not that I think you've ever had any, considering what a prude-""

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled angrily, completely ignoring the other's insults. "Do you have any idea how that could've looked to other people?!"

Naruto scowled at him. "Here's another tip, stop worrying about what other people think about you. Worry about how _you _think of you, then maybe your assholishness will go down a few notches."

Sasuke grunted and wiped the finger on his pants. "What the hell do you know" he muttered in irritation.

Naruto smirked. "A lot more than you think." He stood up, "C'mon."

"What now?"

"We're going to play a game, and then we can leave."

"...Fine..." he stood up as well and followed Naruto to what appeared to be some sort of shooting game. Sasuke frowned and picked up the plastic blue gun for second player, "What the hell is this?"

Naruto picked up the red gun. "It's called 'House of the Living Dead Two.' Main objective: blow the shit out of every zombie you see."

"And what's the point of this again?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"Fun. F. U. N. You and me are partners-"

"I don't like it already."

"Look jackass, don't dampen my mood just because you're constantly PMS-ing! Just shoot the damn zombies and be fucking happy for once!" He held his hand out and Sasuke begrudgingly placed four coins in it. Naruto inserted the coins into the slots and stepped on a lever to fill up his arsenal. He looked at Sasuke for a moment, "I'm only explaining this once, so listen, douche: Duck to avoid a hit, shoot to kill, and step on the lever to reload your gun. Got it?"

"Not really."

"Tough shit." He glued his blue orbs to the screen and pulled the trigger when a decaying monster popped out of nowhere, blasting it's head into smoldering scraps.

"Where the hell do they come from?!" Sasuke yelled, stepping back in surprise.

"Shut up teme, you'll ruin my concentration!"

A scowl marred Sasuke's face as he began shooting at random places on the screen, watching Naruto duck down and jump back up out of the corner of his eye - like he was a fucking expert on the thing.

And for all Sasuke knew, he was.

Sasuke growled as a red gash flashed across his side of the screen, slowly depleting his life, while Naruto's was still full, untouched. "Why the hell are they attacking me and not you?!"

"Because you're not defending yourself!"

"Well defend me then!"

"Fuck you! Cover your own ass!"

"You fucking baka! I'm _dying_!"

"That's not my fucking problem now is it?!"

"I thought we were supposed to be partners!"

"Shut up! You made me get hit! Your fucking gun isn't even loaded! Step on the damn lever!"

For a split second, Sasuke wished the gun was real, and he would turn around and fucking blast the dobe's face off. He frowned when his screen began dripping with blood, red numbers slowly counting backwards from ten. "How the hell did that happen?"

"You _died_?!"

"Revive me!"

"Fuck no! You revive yourself damn it!"

"How?"

"AGH! Put in more - _shit_!"

"Shit?"

Naruto dropped the gun and stared at his red screen, then turned to Sasuke. "You fucking jerk! I _lost _because of you! I've _never _lost at this game!"

"Fuck this shit," Sasuke grumbled, throwing his gun at the game and turning around. "We're leaving."

"Aren't you even going to say your sorry?! You _ruined _my perfect winning streak! LOOK!" He shoved his finger to the glass, pressing it against the number "one" spot. "That's my fucking name! See?! NA-RU-TO! You owe me an apology!"

Sasuke spun back to him. "You know what? You are absolutely right, I am so sorry Naruto, it was a horrible thing on my part."

Naruto blinked confusedly. "Really?"

"_No_."

**x-X-0-X-x**

It was getting dark when they reached Naruto's apartment, the sky splashed with vibrant oranges and pinks as the moon slowly revealed itself from the blanket rays of the sun.

Naruto shoved a key in his apartment door and slammed it open, still a bit pissed from the arcade incident. He stepped inside and shed his shirt from his chest, allowing it to drop to the floor without a care.

Sasuke felt himself blush at the unabashed behavior of the boy, that and, well Naruto was just plain good looking. Too bad he was a moronic idiot.

He tried to flick on a light switch to get a better look at the apartment, but when he flipped it on, nothing happened.

He smiled, the teasing already piling on his tongue. "Forget to pay the bill dobe?"

Naruto flopped on a small armchair and closed his eyes. "There is no light, deal with it. I don't have money to pay for it. I only get government money and whatever Kiba and Gaara give to me. I have barely just enough to pay for rent, food, and water, the window is good enough light for me."

Sasuke jerked back a step. Great, now he felt bad again. But apologizing was awkward, so he opted for changing the subject instead. "Where am I sleeping?"

"Floor."

Sasuke's jaw dropped. "You're joking, you can't make me sleep on the floor."

"You're no princess here, Uchiha. Floor or outside, make your choice, I didn't exactly _volunteer _for this in case you forgot."

The raven glanced at the twin bed in the corner, a few feet away from the window, then to a small table in the middle of the room, to the tiny kitchen, and the armchair the dobe was on. "Why can't I sleep on the chair?"

The blond cracked open an eye and grinned. "Because I said so, you didn't think you were going to get _away _with that whole arcade thing did you? Floor or outside, those are the only choices you have."

Sasuke grunted. '_I can't believe this_,' He walked over next to Naruto's bed before plopping on the ground.

Naruto stood up. "Floor huh? Good choice." He made his way to a door and opened it before pulling out a futon, pillow, and blanket which he threw at the sitting boy and shut the door.

Sasuke groaned and laid everything out before removing his pants and shirt and slipping under the cover. It was a bit earlier than he was used to for sleep, but what the hell? It wasn't like there was much entertainment here anyway, besides bothering Naruto.

Naruto smiled and shed his own pants before jumping on his bed and settling his gaze on the moon outside the window.

When darkness had crept into the room, Naruto was still awake, thinking over the events of the past two days. And now that he had cooled down, he found it really hadn't been rational to make Sasuke sleep on the floor. But he wasn't changing his mind now, so the bastard would just have to deal with it.

"Hey Sasuke...you awake?"

"Yeah."

"Oh..."

He waited a few moments before asking, "You didn't seriously ask me that just to see if I was awake, did you?"

Naruto snorted a laugh, "Nah, I was gonna ask if you were gay."

Sasuke felt his breath hitch, and his eyes went half lidded. He didn't exactly _remember _when he realized he preferred men, he didn't recall ever really liking women anyway. He supposed his sexual preference was influenced by two things. One being a rebellion against his father who was pressed on continuing the Uchiha name, and the other being that he just plain liked boys better. He found girls to be clingy and annoying. Honestly, he didn't care if people knew about his sexuality, he just didn't want to go around proclaiming it to everyone, it wasn't any of their business. "As a matter of fact dobe, I am."

Naruto shot up from his bed, "Whoa! Seriously?!"

Sasuke gave him a confused look, "Yes."

"You do know I was just kidding right? I wasn't really going to ask you that."

The raven blushed and chose not to answer as Naruto laid back down. "Wow, Uchiha Sasuke is gay...actually, that's not a real big shocker. From the way you take care of yourself and what not, and pushing away all those girls that beg to get in your pants, I'm more surprised no one's figured it out yet."

"Hn, maybe it's just _you _who hasn't figured it out, baka."

Naruto flushed bright red, "Shut up!"

Sasuke chuckled. "Well what about you dobe? Which side are you on?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Uh-huh, so you're gay."

Naruto growled, "For your information I'm _bi_! Ah.." He groaned and clapped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment. He'd walked right into that one.

Sasuke was smirking like a madman. "Is that right?" he teased.

The blond frowned and turned away from the other boy. "Go to sleep and shut that horrible mouth of yours up."

"So which do you like better? Hot dogs or tacos?"

"Good _night _teme!"

He was on the verge of a laughing attack, "Would you like me to help you find out which one you like better?"

"Why are you only dirty when we don't want you to be dirty?"

"Is that a yes?"

"Fuck you!"

"Offer?"

"Shut _up_!"

"_Make _me."

"I said good _night_!"

**x-X-0-X-x**

An hour or so later, Sasuke was lying wide awake on his oh so comfortable futon. That Naruto had provided for him with just so much hospitality and care for the Uchiha's repose.

Bullshit. He couldn't get a wink of sleep on the damn thing.

Neji must have been cursing him somewhere, because as fate would have it, he had to piss. He slowly rose up from the floor and stalked to the door that he assumed was the restroom. And he was right, because hell, he was Sasuke.

When he finished his business, he walked back to his makeshift bed in the same sullen manner he had walked away from it. But something caught his attention before he made to get down.

His eyes widened at the dobe's face, and he leaned down to get a better look at it.

Captivating.

That was really the only way to describe it. Naruto was unearthly beautiful when he slept. How the hell is that even possible? He was sleeping for Christ's sake! But it didn't matter. Sasuke was entranced as he stared at the boy. The moonlight pouring from the open window gave him an ethereal glow, his chest was moving slowly up and down in steady, even intakes of air. Soft lips parted and releasing sweet breaths that ghosted over Sasuke's face, as if caressing it, enticing him to come closer. Golden trestles sticking this way and that, but somehow seeming tame and calm. His face alone was enough to put even the most beautiful of angels to shame.

Sasuke felt a bit of fear coil in his stomach as he realized that he could not tear his eyes away, that had the price of looking been blindness, he would continue to stare.

He hesitantly lifted a hand and cupped the blond's left cheek, running his thumb over the smooth flesh and the unevenness of the marks that marred his flawless skin.

His heart thudded painfully when he felt the urge to bend down and kiss those parted, waiting lips, and he began panting with the effort of holding back that urge. A few tears of frustration leaked down his cheeks, dripping onto a bronzed face, causing the boy to stir slightly.

This was too much for Sasuke, all these feelings and emotions, they were to foreign, too..._raw_. He'd never had this experience before, and he didn't know how to handle it. One minute he wanted to punch the fucking dobe in the face, and the next, he finds himself breaking down from admiring that same face and wishing he could kiss it until it cried from lack of air.

Why?

His breathing was shaky and unstable as he leaned down to Naruto's face, lips hovering just a breath away from the blond's. "What are you doing to me?" Sasuke whispered.


	6. Blooming Part Two

**xxxChapter 5: Blooming (Part Two)xxx**

Oblivion eyes fluttered open to the blistering morning rays of the sun beating against them.

Sasuke blinked confusedly as he took in his surroundings. _'This **isn't** my room...'_He pressed a palm against the softness beneath him. '_And this **isn't** my bed.'_

A groan slowly seeped from his mouth as he curled on the mattress. _Where the hell am I?_

But yesterday came back to him, and he remembered very clearly where he was. He sat up, sheet pooling around his waist.

But if _he _was in the bed...then where was...?

He jerked as droplets of rain began pounding furiously against the window, and the sound of a flushing toilet was heard.

Naruto stepped out of the bathroom with a grin, and Sasuke's brows furrowed as the boy sauntered towards him. "Naruto?" He frowned and asked, "How did I get on your bed?"

But the blond didn't answer, simply continued grinning. And when he reached the bed, he did something that tore a gasp from Sasuke's throat and nearly made his face burn from heat.

He straddled him.

Naruto only seemed encouraged by his embarrassment, because he smirked and ground his hips down, pushing Sasuke's into the bed and leaned in so their noses touched. "Morning _teme_," blew hotly across his senses.

Sasuke's heart was beating erratically, and his stomach flipped when he realized, that he didn't dislike this at all. In fact, he was getting hard from it. He cleared his throat and licked his lips, "What are you doing, dobe?"

Again Naruto ignored his question, instead choosing to place a hand on Sasuke's bare back and press their bodies flush against one another. "Wanna take a shower?" he whispered.

Sasuke groaned and threw his head back, letting out a breathy "yes" when Naruto lifted himself and began grinding his pelvis into the his stomach.

Naruto smiled mischievously and pressed his lips against the raven's ear, "Mmmm, but Sasuke," his fingers snaked up Sasuke's back, sliding into the silky strands at the nape of his neck. "I need you to do something for me first."

Sasuke gasped when Naruto put more force into his grinding, and he began to grind back, thrusting fervently against the inside of a tanned thigh. "Anything," he rasped.

Naruto was panting now, his movements frantic. "Nhn...Sasuke, I need you..."

"Fuck, _what _Naruto?" he ground out as a wandering tongue curiously slid over his face.

"Ha...I need you to..."

Sasuke made a noise of displeasure when the blond's movements ceased, but he continued to thrust himself against the other's thigh, despite Naruto's sudden lack of enthusiasm.

Naruto looked down at the still moving hips for a moment before gripping Sasuke's shoulders with a cheeky grin. "I need you to wake up."

"What?" Sasuke choked out hastily, his thrusting not slowing down; he was close to coming, he could feel it.

But Naruto did something that forced him to stop, he shook him violently back and forth. "Wake up!"

"The hell!"

* * *

Black eyes shot open to the sight of a tan stomach. Naruto was over him with a hand placed on his shoulder, a pair of jeans on, and hair dripping from a recent shower.

Sasuke moaned at the image, before realizing that he was on the floor...on his stomach, and still rolling his hips softly against the ground.

He stopped himself with a blush.

Naruto sat back up with an amused grin. "That must have been one damn good dream you were having. I came out of the bathroom and found you moaning and pounding yourself into my floor." He frowned, "Hey! If you made a mess, you better damn well clean it up! I don't want your..." his eyes flickered in search of a word, "_stuff _on my floor!"

Sasuke wasn't listening, he was still aroused, and Naruto's voice wasn't really helping the situation. He bolted from the floor and dashed to the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it. He yanked down his boxers and kicked them off, wrapping a hand around his swelling dick and letting out a ragged breath. He stroked himself fast and hard, not bothering with technique or grace; he needed release, and he needed it _now_.

He closed his eyes and pictured his hand as Naruto's anus, as he pounded into him mercilessly. _Oh God_, he'd make Naruto holler and beg for it, call out his name as he arched off the mattress.

Sasuke felt himself smile at the image, and he bit his lip to hold in cry.

He flinched back to reality when a fist rapped loudly on the door he was leaning on.

"Hey hey! Don't _relieve _yourself in my bathroom! Take a shower or something!"

Sasuke frowned and, with a lot of effort, slowed his hand down. Naruto was right, if he continued like this, he might wind up calling out the blond's name. _Then _he would be in real trouble.

He forced his hand away from his erection and stumbled to the shower, manhood pulsing painfully and breath choppy as he turned the knob for 'cold', not even glancing at the 'hot' one.

He stepped inside, starting almost violently when the icy droplets pounded against his heated skin. After adjusting to the stinging sensation, it felt wonderful, and he was slightly surprised that steam hadn't erupted from the contact.  
Sasuke shivered and threaded slim fingers through his hair, smoothing it back and breathing harshly as he thought of everything and anything to help will away his hard-on.

When he finally calmed down, Sasuke coughed and slowly dropped down to his knees. He sat utterly still, shocked that he had lost control like that and at what had occurred.  
Outside, Naruto had his ear pressed to the door, listening with interest. Sasuke had made a gagging noise like he was about to vomit, and it worried him a bit...he didn't want _vomit _on his floor. He backed away when the shower cut off.

Blinking and licking his lips, he asked, "Do you need a towel?"

"What do you think?" came the snipped reply.

Naruto pouted and grabbed the towel he'd been using earlier from the bed, then walked back over to the door and knocked.

Sasuke cracked open the wood and snatched the towel out of the blond's hand, wrapped it around his waist and walked out.

Naruto felt his whole face burn up and jerked his head to the side. If an undeniably attractive boy walked out of your bathroom dripping wet with nothing but a small, fluffy white towel around his waist, despite how much of an ass that boy was, chances are you're going to blush. "Do you need some clothes?" he murmured.

Sasuke huffed, "Wow dobe, you're on a roll today. Tell me, did you figure that out all by yourself?"

Naruto glared at him. "Will you stop being such a _bastard_? I'm only trying to help! Would you prefer to go out naked? Or in your dirty, damp clothes that you wore yesterday? Because that can be arranged very easily."

Sasuke pressed a palm to his forehead and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little frustrated. Yes, I need some clothes."

Naruto's face softened at the apology. He walked to his closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and two black shirts, one short-sleeved and one sleeveless.

He grinned and handed the jean and the short-sleeved shirt to Sasuke. "Kiba wants us to be friends? Fine, then how about we match today? That's pretty friendly."

"That's pretty _stupid_." Sasuke drawled, staring at his hands in which the articles were clasped.

Naruto chuckled and shrugged, slipping his own top over his head, and frowned when Sasuke didn't move. "What's wrong?"

"Underwear."

Naruto smiled and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "What's wrong with going commando?"

"Don't even go there."

Naruto shrugged and fished out a pair of boxers from a drawer, tossing them to the pale boy and turning around to give him some privacy.

When he felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned back and was met with a smirking Sasuke, clothes nearly a mirror image of himself. He smiled. "Well gosh, who knew you'd look so good getting into my pants?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed as a stirring began in said pants. "Hn, careful what you say, dobe."

Naruto snorted a laugh and crossed his arms, unaware of the effects his playful comment had caused as he plopped down on the bed. "So, wanna tell me about that _wonderful _dream you were having this morning?" He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, and leaned back on his hands with his legs spread out, oblivious to the provocative position. "Or why I woke up to you half way on my bed with tear stains on your face? I had to shove you back down on the futon."

Sasuke flushed but did not answer.

The blond grinned. "I thought maybe you were trying to molest me in my sleep, but the obvious crying kinda ruled that out." His grin widened and he spread his legs further, bucking his hips suggestively, "Gotta say, I was a bit disappointed, teme."

Sasuke flushed deeper at the boy's perverse teasing.

Naruto noticed Sasuke's discomfort and chuckled to himself, grin faltering slightly. "Did you have a bad night? Or a nightmare?"

The Uchiha glanced away, remembering the delicious hardness dream-Naruto had grounded and pushed into his stomach. "Not...necessarily."

Naruto tilted his head."..._Opposite _of a nightmare?"

"..."

He smirked. "Must have been one hell of a dream, it was like you were trying to _fuse _yourself with my floor. I tried dripping water on your face after I came out of the shower and saw you, but you didn't even blink."

Sasuke's blush, if fucking possible, deepened. Naruto's shower would explain the rain in the dream, and if he had water dripped on his face, that was probably what he felt when Naruto's..._tongue _slipped all over him.

He groaned and buried his face in his hands; sure he'd had wet dreams before, but he'd never had one as vivid or...enjoyable as that one had been.

Naruto turned his head with a sultry leer aimed at Sasuke. "So...who was this person who got you all hot and bothered, huh?"

Okay, time to change the subject, "What time is it?"

Naruto blinked at the abrupt jump in topic but shrugged and opened a drawer from his nightstand, pulling out a tiny, digital clock. "Eleven forty five."

"E-eleven forty five?!"

"Yeah."

"We're late!"

"So?"

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?! Why didn't _you _wake up sooner?!"

"Jesus Christ, will you calm down?"

"Where's my bag?!"

"...Sasuke?"

"Fuck! We missed first and second period!"

"Sasuke!"

"I have so much fucking work to make up!"

"SASUKE!!"

"What?!"

Naruto sighed and stood up, gripping the other's shoulders. "Calm. Down." He took two of his fingers and pressed them against a pale neck, right below the raven's jaw. His eyes widened, "Well what do you know, a pulse, which means you're NOT dead, _relax_." he let his arms fall.

Sasuke slowly lifted a hand and covered the spot Naruto had touched tentatively with his palm, as if in an attempt to trap the warmth there.

"It's easy," the blond stated with a smile. "Breathe in," he took in a breath of air and then exhaled it slowly to sweep over Sasuke's face, unknowingly forcing his heart to skip a beat. "Breathe out. Super simple."

Sasuke looked down at the boy, feeling a drop of sweat trickle down his temple. They needed to leave before the other saw what kind of effect he was having on him, "Let's go, we have fourth period together." He'd be damned if Naruto questioned his behavior before he even found out just what the hell he was feeling himself.

**x-X-0-X-x**

"Nhn...Sasuke why don't we wait until fifth period? Let's skip fourth."

Sasuke stopped in the middle of the hallway, turning to the other, "Why?"

The blond looked down and fiddled with the strap of his backpack, twining it around his fingers. "I can't _stand _chemistry, it's pointless and we'll never use it for anything."

Sasuke placed a hand on his hip and raised a brow, staring quietly at the boy.

Naruto frowned with a furrowed brow. "Fine, _you _go, but _I'm_ skipping." he turned to leave but a hand caught his wrist.

'Hey! Let go! What did I tell you about personal space?!"

"Let's make a deal."

He blinked. "Hm? What kind of deal?"

"I'll allow to teach me how to be loose, but in exchange, you have to allow me to help you in school."

"What the fuck kind of deal is that?"

"I don't want you to fail."

"I'm not _failing_." Naruto muttered defensively.

"D's and C's aren't exactly top notch Naruto. Let me help make you better, I'll make it so you don't even _borderline _failing grades."

Naruto snorted and turned his head up slightly. "Why the hell do _you _care if I fail or not?"

Sasuke tightened his grip and yanked the other close enough for their breaths to mingle. He stood quietly, flicking back and forth between cobalt eyes, as if they would reveal the answer to him, because Lord knows he sure as hell didn't have it. "...I don't know." He dropped the tan wrist and started towards their class, vaguely listening above the pounding in his ears as the other fell in step beside him.

**x-X-0-X-x**

Kakashi's visible eye widened in surprise when his most famous students walked into his room together. "Sasuke, Naruto, nice of you to join us." He blinked twice as he registered what it was he was looking at, "And...you're matching, how nice."

Naruto nodded slightly and walked to the back of the room, plopping down in his secluded seat.

Sasuke frowned at him. And he made sure everyone's shocked, pale faces watched as he followed and sat in the empty beside him.

Every student had their mouths hanging open, and one person laughed, thinking it had to be a joke.

Kakashi suddenly dropped his orange novel to the floor and bolted to the window, opening it and sticking his head out.

A blond girl frowned at him. "Mr. Hatake...what are you doing?"

"Sasuke comes in late? And two of my students who supposedly hate each other are wearing matching clothes, coming in and _sitting _together?" He stuck his head out further, fingers clenching around the window sill. "The first dollar that falls out of that sky is _mine_."

**x-X-0-X-x**

After Kakashi got over his shock, he assigned book work, pissed because, as it turns out, money _wasn't_ going to fall from the sky.

Naruto groaned and threw his pencil on the table. "Fuck this shit, I quit."

Sasuke smiled and stood up, lifting his desk and pushing it next to the fuming blond's, then sat back down.

Naruto grinned. "Wow, you're pretty strong for someone who looks so girly."

"I'm going to let that slide and pretend it was the frustration talking. Now, tell me what you don't understand."

Naruto spread his arms out over the textbook, "_Everything_."

"A little more specific."

Azure eyes narrowed at him. "...You're being awfully nice and cooperative today, wanna tell me who pulled that stick out of your ass?"

"Hn" Sasuke smirked and tapped the other's book with his finger, "Work, dobe."

Naruto pouted, albeit ticked that Sasuke hadn't taken his bait, their quarrels were fun when they were playful. "Fine, _explain _it to me, oh wise Uchiha."

"What do you need me to explain?"

"I don't know! These letters! And the numbers! And the parenthesis!"

"The chemical formula."

"And what are these lines for?"

"The bonds, covalent bonding."

Sasuke blushed when Naruto suddenly pushed his whiskered face into his chest. "Looking at it hurts," he muffled into the cloth.

"Dobe." He had noticed that lately their usual insults, "dobe" and "teme", were becoming more like pet names whenever they were used rather than hurtful words. He reluctantly pushed the boy off and pulled out a scrap paper and drew on it.

Naruto glared at the scribble, "What the hell is that?"

"Lewis dot structure."

"What?"

Sasuke chuckled. "Look, this element has seven valence electrons," he pointed with his pencil, "you know what that is right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, this one" he switched to another element, "has six."

"....Okay."

"Now, in covalent bonding, the electrons are shared, not transferred like in ionic bonding. Covalent bonding is a bond between two elements, while ionic bonding is a bond between two ions, a cation and an anion. A positive and a negative - you following?"

Naruto nodded. "Mostly, keep going."

"So, there's a rule, the octet rule, which states that every element's goal is to obtain eight valence electrons. With the exceptions of sulfur, hydrogen, bromine, and phosphorus, because every element wants to be a noble gas, and a noble gas has eight valence electrons. So the lines you have to draw are the bonds the elements create so they can share electrons." He drew a line between the atoms, "So now this atom has eight electrons and this one has seven, are we finished?"

"No, you need to make a double bond so the other one can have eight too."

Sasuke smiled, "Exactly."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Holy fucking shit! I understand! You're fucking amazing!" He snatched the pencil out of Sasuke's hand and drew the double bond, then looked back at his 'tutor', "From now on, you're sitting next to me every day." he went back to finish the problems.

Sasuke felt foreign warmth spread out in his chest as he watched the other boy work; the way Naruto's tongue poked out slightly in concentration, the sway of his hair against his forehead as his body moved over the problems. His heart hitched when Naruto glanced up at him, perhaps feeling the other's eyes on himself, and gave him a bright smile.  
Maybe this new feeling wasn't all that bad after all.

**x-X-0-X-x**

The bell rang and Sasuke stood up, waiting for Naruto to finish packing his materials.

When they were about to walk out the door, it was slammed in their faces, a smiling Kakashi in front of it, mask pulled down.

Sasuke frowned, "What is it?"

"Don't know, why don't you tell me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You weren't in school yesterday Sasuke, and normally, even though you're never absent, that wouldn't be a problem. But Naruto wasn't here either. Now, I expect that from you Naruto, you have a tendency to skip my class like an anorexic person skips a meal, but suddenly my top student is ditching and coming late to class with you? I believe I'm owed an explanation."

Sasuke unconsciously placed an arm in front of Naruto, "I was sick."

"Of course you were. Now listen, I'm glad you decided to become friends with Naruto, Sasuke. And Naruto, it's good that Sasuke has sparked _some _kind of interest in your studies. You do know what they say, opposites attract." He pulled out his book and buried his nose in it, "But if I see that this attraction will start causing problems, believe me, something will be done, am I clear?"

Both boys nodded, and Kakashi smiled. "Good then, keep that in mind, and go enjoy your lunch. Later."

**x-X-0-X-x**

"Eat it."

"But I'm not-"

"_Eat it_!"

Sasuke glared at the blond that was insistently shoving a slice of pizza in his face, "Dobe, I'm not hung-"

"Please?"

Sasuke blinked, "What?"

Naruto had gotten on his knees in front of Sasuke and somehow doubled the size of his blue eyes, made tears leak out from their corners and pursed his lips into an irresistibly adorable pout. "Please Sasuke?"

Sasuke felt heat rush both north and south in his body. "Why?"

"Kiba and Gaara don't believe that you eat fat food, I just wanna show them that you can! C'mon Sasuke," he leaned forward slightly, putting himself between Sasuke's legs, "I'll lick your finger again..." he offered with a flirty smile.

"Uhn..." he looked away, that offer being far too tempting. Not to mention those fucking blue eyes were about to break him, and Naruto on his knees to him, was a very...suggestive position. He held his hand out, "A bite, give me."

Naruto grinned hard enough to split his face and jumped up, shoving the pizza in Sasuke's mouth.

The raven's hands flew out into the air as a muffled "Fuck!" left his mouth. He pushed Naruto off and threw the pizza, or what was left of it, at Kiba's laughing face.

Sasuke glared angrily at the blond. "Are you trying to suffocate me you idiot?! I said a _bite_!"

Naruto smiled and swiped a finger across Sasuke's lips, coming off with tomato sauce and winking, "C'mon teme, I'm just having fun." He stuck the finger in his mouth, replaying what he had done at the arcade.

'_Jesus_' Sasuke looked away and licked his lips, cleaning the residue sauce and moistening them. "Fucking moron..."

Naruto stilled in his actions and glared half-heartedly at Sasuke; he was in a playful mood. "Stop calling me that before I fuck you in the ass."

Sasuke was appalled. "If anyone's getting fucked anywhere, it's you!"

Naruto smiled while picking at the dirt under his fingernails, "Huh, good to know."

"Well," Kiba cut in, "If you two could stop threatening to fuck each other for a moment, Naruto, what's this I hear about you actually _working _in chemistry class?"

Naruto brightened up, "Holy shit Kiba! You should've seen it! I was completely lost, right? And then Mr. Genius over here talks to me for 2 minutes and I understand everything! It was incredible!"

Kiba turned to Sasuke, "Wow, so not only are you rich, pretty, and smart, but you're a miracle worker too? Sure you don't want to stay with us permanently?"

Sasuke looked to Naruto, then up at Gaara, meeting his quiet, cold gaze for a moment before shrugging, "Dunno, maybe if I'm..._persuaded_." Whoa...where did _that _come from?

Naruto raised a brow, oblivious as always, before his eyes shone with excitement. "Kiba, Gaara, you'll never guess what! Our pristine bastard here has an alter ego that's a dirty pervert! You should've _heard _the things he said to me last night!" He abruptly got shoved off his chair, "Hey!"

Sasuke's vein was pulsing dangerously in his forehead. "We're moving on now, dobe."

Kiba pounded a fist in the air, "Hey wait a minute! I wanna hear what you said!"

"Moving _on_."

"Oh, Sasuke!"

Sasuke's face paled at the shrill squeal. _No...oh no please..._"...Sakura..."

Sakura Haruno, one of Sasuke's more persistent fans, suddenly came up behind him and wrapped her arms around her obsession, "Oh Sasuke! What are you doing here?"

Naruto managed to get back on his chair and looked up at Sakura with a bright smile, "Oh, hey Sakura!"

The girl let go of Sasuke and made a disgusted face at the blond. "Don't talk to me you annoying loser."

Naruto's cheeriness suddenly vanished and a frown marred his face. Kiba growled and Gaara's nonexistent eyebrows bunched together. Sasuke was only focused on the way Naruto's face had gone from vibrant to sullen in a manner of seconds, all because of that one sentence.

Sakura huffed and placed her hands on her hips, "Sasuke, why are you hanging out with this _garbage_? They're just a bunch of low-lives, especially the blond one, he doesn't even have any parents, I mean really-"

Sasuke slammed his hands on the table and shot up, glaring death at the girl. "Take it back."

"Huh? But, Sasuke -"

"Take it back!"

"What-"

"Don't you _ever _speak to them like that! Especially Nar-"

A pull at his sleeve cut off his sentence, and he glanced down at Naruto.

"Sasuke don't, it's okay, we're used to it..._I'm_ used to it."

The Uchiha's blood boiled. Used to it? _'You shouldn't have to **be **used to it.'  
_  
He snapped back at the girl, "Apologize."

"But I don't-"

"Apologize!"

Sakura's lips parted and closed silently, a pressure building behind her eyes as the man she loved scolded her so angrily.

Sasuke girt his teeth and glared at her. "If you're not going to apologize, then leave."

The tears slipped out, and Sakura glanced at Naruto curiously, then once more at Sasuke before sniffing and walking away.

Sasuke snorted at her stupidity and fell into the chair, staring at Naruto's hand that was still on his sleeve.

Naruto caught him looking and released the fabric, "Sorry..."

Sasuke's features softened at the boy, but his forehead scrunched a bit as something hit him like a ton of bricks. He bit his lip at the thought: Was that how he used to treat these boys? Was that how he treated Naruto? Did he really call him things like that? It seemed so unreal now; he couldn't think of Naruto that way anymore.

Naruto was a lot of things, but garbage, scum, nobody...he definitely didn't fall into _any _of those categories.

**x-X-0-X-x**

Sasuke opened the door to his room and threw his bag on his bed.

He groaned and slowly sat down on his computer chair, cradling his head in his hands.

Why? Why had he reacted so strongly to Sakura's insults? Why did he feel the need to protect Naruto, when he obviously didn't want protection?

A sigh of frustration snuck past his lips. These feelings that were forcing themselves on him were getting stronger, whatever they were. After he'd parted from Naruto and the other two at lunch, he had to admit, the rest of the day had been rather dull without the blond's presence. To put the experience in words, he supposed it would be closest to...empty, or boring. But they'd met up at the end of the day, and Sasuke's heart had sped up immensely when Naruto gave him a 'thank you' hug for offering to help him with his school work. But he didn't bring up the Sakura incident, instead he chose to flick a finger across Sasuke's nose playfully and say, "And we're going to teach you how to pull that stick out by yourself."

Sasuke smiled at the memory; not the best or what he'd like for Naruto to say to him, but it would be a treasured one nonetheless.

He jumped when his door was thrown open, an immensely pissed off Fugaku standing in the entrance.

Sasuke relaxed and swiveled the chair around so he could fall on his bed. "Can I help you?"

"Uchiha. Sasuke."

He stayed quiet for a moment, pondering what Naruto would say to something like that. "That's my name."

Fugaku snorted and shut the door, then sat down on the bed as well. "Your school called yesterday, said you weren't there."

"Hn."

His eyes narrowed, "And you didn't come home last night."

He didn't respond.

"Why?" his father asked venomously.

Sasuke shrugged, "C'mon now, I don't go and ask _you _about your personal life now do I?"

Fugaku's teeth gritted as he stared at his son. "This isn't like you Sasuke."

Said boy abruptly sat up and stared his father defiantly in the face. "People change; maybe you should give it a try."

Fugaku's face flushed red with anger, and he stood up with haste. "I have people waiting for me downstairs...don't let this happen again Sasuke." He turned around and stormed out.

Sasuke blew a bang out of his face and smirked, falling back on the bed.

His door cracked open again and he rolled his eyes and sat up with a cocky smile. "What is it now fa..." His smile slipped to a scowl, "What the hell are you doing in here?"

Itachi stood in front of the closed door, smiling wickedly at Sasuke. "Is that any way to speak to your aniki?"

"Get out," Sasuke growled.

"Now now Sasuke, no need to get nasty."

Sasuke's teeth gritted painfully, "Get. Out."

"Hn, don't think I don't know what you're up to, otouto."

"I don't know what you're talking about you asshole, get the hell out _now_."

Itachi pushed himself off the door, dark hair falling over his thin shoulders. He stood up straight and stepped closer to the bed, "But what about that little blond friend of yours? I'm sure he knows."

Fury bubbled up in Sasuke's chest, and a surge of protectiveness, origin unknown, rushed forward. "Leave him alone Itachi. Don't coax him into your sick games."

"But he seems so fun."

"Don't you _dare _touch him."

Itachi reached into his shirt pocket. "Maybe he'd enjoy a little party, ne? Private, of course."

"You sadistic bastard." He stood up, "Get the fuck out and don't you go _near _Naruto."

The elder Uchiha pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the bed.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What the...get that shit out of here!"

"A present, for you and your new friends, otouto."

Sasuke tangled his fingers in his hair, looking anywhere but at what Itachi had placed on his bed. "Where did you get that? Why do you have that?" His breathing became harsh and short when Itachi failed answer him. "I could go down right now and show it to _everyone_," he threatened.

"Hm," Itachi turned and twisted the knob on the door, "You could do that, yes, but I'm only being nice. Besides, do you really think they will take your word over mine? Especially with your recent misbehavior and lack of respect for father?" He chuckled; "You might want to think it over." He walked out.

Sasuke stood still with shock as he stared at the item on his bed. "Son of a..."

One unlabeled, small, plastic bag of a powdery white substance.


	7. Whispers Part One

****

xxxChapter 6: Whispers (Part One)xxx

Sasuke raked his fingers through ebony hair as he made his way to the stairwell.

_Four weeks._

That was exactly how long he'd been spending time with these boys. And painful as it was to admit, they had grown on him, even Gaara and without doubt, Naruto. The more time Sasuke spent with the blond, the less he wanted to be away from him. In fact, sleeping over at his house had become a habit. Naruto had even begrudgingly gone out and made a copy of his key and gave it to Sasuke, since the boy practically _invited _himself over anyway. Needless to say, this opened many doors of opportunity in Sasuke's point of view...opportunities for what, he wasn't quite sure, but was certain that he would figure something out soon.

He smiled and fingered the key in his pocket. He was definitely coming over tonight; he had a surprise for Naruto.

It was strange how much he'd changed over the past few weeks. Skipping was something that came on a whim now, instead of being something unthinkable. They didn't do it periodically, only once in a while when the need to remain out of a stuffy classroom was too strong to ignore. Sasuke's grades had slipped because of it, but they were still above average, and Naruto's grades had shot up to a pleasing level.

Sasuke's reputation was also gradually changing, but not precisely in the way he had hoped it would. Instead of being ridiculed and shunned by students, he found that they were praising him. His new 'bad boy' image had attracted more of his fans than ever before, guys were trying to be like him. His popularity had seeped out, and soon enough, Naruto and company were suddenly being recognized by the whole student body.

It was sickening.

And then there was Itachi's...gift. The minute Sasuke had gotten over the shock of what he'd been given – and the fact that Itachi was apparently, a drug addict – he'd grabbed the packet and stuffed it into a pocket in his bag. His plan had been to throw it away in some random dumpster in town, but the next day, he'd found Naruto drinking again, this time from a bottle of water with a paper wrapped around it.

His chest had tightened at the sight, and he wondered if maybe Naruto _did _do things like that. And if he did, would he be pleased with Sasuke if he gave it to him? To be honest, Sasuke couldn't really picture Naruto snorting cocaine, but again, he didn't have the nerve to ask him, so he couldn't be sure. He didn't throw it away. It was in the same spot in his bag as it had been when he'd stuck it in there, unsure what to do with it.

All negative thoughts vanished instantly when he reached the stairwell, and found Naruto sitting on a step, leaning against the wall, snoozing. Sasuke snorted a laugh and sat down next to him. With a smile, he pinched a tan nose between his thumb and forefinger and waited...

Blue eyes snapped open and pink lips parted for a gasp of air.

Sasuke released the nose, "Mornin' dobe."

Naruto breathed shakily and threw a glare at the other boy. "You asshole, you could've just shook me!"

"Hn, but where's the fun in that?"

"Tch, jerk..."

Sasuke grinned and slung an arm around the blond's neck. "Anyway, I have a surprise for you."

Naruto's angry face rapidly changed to curiosity with a lace of excitement, "Really? What is it?"

The raven pulled the other close until his lips brushed against an ear. He enjoyed the proximity for a moment before whispering, "You're a pussy..."

Naruto's jaw dropped and he stared at the other boy, who was smiling triumphantly. "What the hell? Is that supposed to make me happy?"

"Think about it."

Naruto did think...for about thirty seconds, until it hit him, "Holy crap! You said 'pussy'!"

Sasuke nodded, "Along with any other vulgarity you can come up with, I think I've mastered them all."

He flinched when he was suddenly yanked into a hug, "I'm so proud of you! You can speak freely now!"

Sasuke chuckled and pushed him off. "Now, I held up my end, where's your math test?"

"Huh? Oh right." Naruto grabbed his bag and zipped it open, rummaging around for a minute before coming up with a wrinkled piece of paper. He grinned sheepishly before smoothing it over his lap as best he could and handing it to the other, "I think you'll be very pleased with the results, _Mr. Uchiha_."

Sasuke blushed at all the dirty images _that _name conjured up, and all the _situations _it could be used in. He took the paper and looked it over, lips quirking into a smile "My my, a 'B', that's certainly an improvement, I think you deserve a reward."

Azure eyes widened briefly, "Reward?" He'd never been "rewarded" for a good grade before, "What kind of reward?"

Sasuke smirked and folded the paper into a small square before stuffing it into his pocket. "You'll see tonight, when we go home."

"Wha...who's home?"

"Yours."

"When...you didn't even ask if you could come over!"

"Do I ever? You gave me my own key anyway."

"Still! It's _my _home!"

"Uh-huh."

"You tem-"

Pale fingers caught moving lips between them, "Don't talk so much dobe, you'll hurt yourself."

Naruto's brow crumpled as his mouth was released, but he grinned anyway, and it, in turn, pulled a smile out of Sasuke.

"So Naruto, did you-"

"Naruto!"

Sasuke's smile slipped away, and his eyes narrowed dangerously as a thin brunette girl suddenly latched herself around Naruto's neck.

Naruto blushed and stuttered as the girl's breasts pressed against his back, "Um...h-hi?"

A foreign anger flared up in Sasuke's stomach and his teeth clenched reflexively, "Who is this?" he gritted out.

The poor blond shrugged and mouthed 'I don't know.'

The girl looked offended, "Naruto, it's me, Mikiko, we have Health together."

Black eyes widened..._Mikiko_...this was one of those girls that always followed _Sasuke _around. But then why was she pressing up on Naruto? Unless...

Naruto coughed nervously, "Uh, I'm sorry...Mikiko, but I don't...I don't think you've spoken to me before."

"What?" she blinked and hugged him tighter, "That's ridiculous! Why wouldn't I want to talk to a cutie like you?"

Sasuke growled and angrily yanked Naruto out of Mikiko's grasp, pulling him to his chest. "What do you want?" he spat. This girl didn't like Naruto, she only wanted him because he was close to Sasuke.

"What do you mean Sasuke? I was only paying Naruto compliments." She asked, hands laced innocently behind her back.

He unconsciously dug his nails into tan shoulders, making Naruto wince. "He's not interested."

"Hey! That _hurts_! And I have a mouth, you ass!"

Mikiko shrugged. "Well what about you Sasuke? Are you interested?"

"No," he bit out.

The girl smiled and crossed her arms over her chest, purposely pushing her breasts together to make her cleavage more prominent, then leaning down to Naruto's face she breathed out, "You sure you don't want to go do something together? It could be," she licked her lips suggestively, "_fun_."

Naruto's face flamed up, "Well...I-"

"He's not _interested_." Sasuke cut in icily.

Mikiko huffed and moved her hands to her hips, "I think Naruto can speak for himself."

"Stop talking about him like he's so familiar to you."

"What is he? Your property?"

"Fuck off."

Her face scrunched up into a scowl and she whirled around and stomped away.

Sasuke felt a knot in his stomach loosen as he watched her retreating back, and he released Naruto's shoulders, only to get shoved back to the wall behind him by the angry blond.

"What the hell was that about?" Naruto hollered.

"What?"

"I can speak for _myself_! You can't just grab me and shut me up like that! I make my _own _decisions! Why did you do that?!"

Sasuke jerked his head to the side stubbornly. He might not know what exactly he was feeling for Naruto, but he wasn't stupid, he was obviously infatuated with the other boy, and his reaction to Mikiko could be summed up in one very simple answer:

Jealousy.

But that wasn't the whole thing. True, he had been jealous, but what had angered him more and caused him to react so violently was the fact that Mikiko had tried to _use _Naruto, and that pissed him off.

Naruto frowned, "Now you have nothing to say?"

Just what the hell was he supposed to say?

"Don't ask me questions I can't answer."

"Then who should I ask? You're the only one who knows the motivation for your actions, Sasuke."

Sasuke scoffed, thinking how Naruto couldn't be more wrong. Like hell he knew why he acted the way he did around him. He exhaled a soft sigh...he couldn't go out and say, "I was jealous", that held the possibility of raising questions...but giving him the partial truth couldn't hurt, he supposed, "She was just trying to use you...it upset me."

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction before his face softened. He sat back in a slump, relaxing his muscles and lightly 'thumping' his head against the wall, staring half lidded at Sasuke. "...I wasn't going to say yes anyway..."

Sasuke tilted his head, "No?"

"No...You might think I'm an idiot Sasuke, but I'm not. Do you really expect me to believe that all of a sudden, out of the blue, girls are coming left and right asking me out because they _like _me? I may not be book smart, but I know fake people when I see them, and I know the only reason they're talking to _me _is because they want to get close to _you_."

Sasuke snorted and grinned, "Well what do you know? There's a brain in that pretty blond head of yours."

Naruto kicked the other playfully in the shin, "Teme."

"Hn, dobe."

"How sweet, you two came early to sit together, insult, and kick the crap out of each other."

Naruto smiled and stood up, "Yes Kiba, that is _exactly _what we had planned out, your genius never ceases to amaze me."

Kiba closed his eyes and raised his head haughtily, "Yes yes, I know I'm amazing."

Naruto laughed and placed his arms behind his head, nodding in greeting to Gaara, who returned the gesture, "So what's happening today?"

The brunet tapped his chin for about half second, "I didn't study for Umino's test, so it's a no go."

Naruto shrugged. "Kay, get your ass up Sasuke."

Sasuke frowned and stood up, clutching his bag to his chest.

Naruto raised a brow. "You know, you've been very attached to that thing lately, there a reason for it?"

"What?"

He pointed. "You're bag; I swear you haven't been two feet away from it for weeks."

Sasuke scowled, "It's my bag, I want it near me."

Kiba's nose tilted up a bit. "But you've been treating it like it's a vital organ or something."

"Drop it."

Naruto smirked, "Are hiding something from us, Sasuke?"

"Let's just go."

"C'mon now teme, we don't hide things from _you_."

"Bullshit!"

"Okay, maybe, but I still wanna see." He held out a tan hand, "Give it here Sasuke."

"Who the hell do you think you are dobe? You can't order me around."

Kiba made a grab for the bag but it was moved out of his reach. Unfortunately, while Sasuke was distracted with the brunet, Naruto snatched the bag out of his hands and signaled for Gaara and Kiba to hold him back.

Sasuke thrashed with futile results against the restraining hold, heart pounding wildly as Naruto opened the big zipper. The blond looked bored as he ruffled around the pack, "Hn, paper, books, nothing special." He zipped it closed and opened another pocket right in front of the bag.

"Pencils, pens...oooh money, I'll leave that there for you...Why're you moving around so much? I don't see anything worth hiding." he closed it and walked up to Sasuke, holding the bag out.

Sasuke's heart calmed down considerably for a moment, before Naruto's blue gaze landed on the pouch on the side of the bag, "Hey, I missed one."

Sasuke went into panic mode '_No_!' "Naruto don't!"

"Oh, so _this _is the one you're trying to hide huh?" He smiled as he ripped the Velcro apart and stuck his hand in, pulling out a plastic bag, his smile fell away, "What...what is..." he flipped the bag in his fingers and looked disbelievingly at Sasuke, who was free now, his holders having let go from shock, "Why do you have this?"

Sasuke opened his mouth, but closed it again quietly, realizing there was no definite answer.

"Why do you have this?!"

"Dude, you were bitching about me having a pocket knife and you're packing drugs?"

Sasuke glared at Kiba, "It's not like that."

"Then what the hell is it like? Because this looks pretty fucking bad to me!" Naruto yelled, dropping the backpack.

"It's not...I don't..."

"Where did you get this?"

"My brother."

"The one that you _hate_?"

"Yes."

Naruto shook his head. "You understand how fucked up that sounds?"

Oh yes. Sasuke understood perfectly, but he was simply answering Naruto's questions. "It wasn't...it wasn't for me."

"Then who was..." Azure eyes widened and Naruto put up a nasty snarl as a theory came to mind. "You thought we would want it, didn't you?"

Kiba squinted at Sasuke, "What?"

The raven had his head hung down, features hidden by his bangs; "I...wasn't sure..." he flinched when the packet was thrown at his chest, and looked up hesitantly at Naruto.

The blond had his hands balled at his sides, his whole body shivering with the effort to repress something, "You fucking _bastard_! After all this time you've spent with us, you're _still _judging us and _still _treating us like the crap under your shoes!"

"Naruto I don't..." he quieted when Naruto dismissed him with a hand and a huff. He turned and walked away, reaching a wall and placing an arm on it, then burying his face in his elbow.

Sasuke groaned. Honestly, how many times can you fuck up with the same person in one lifetime? And this felt so much worse than the first time he'd hurt the boy. Why hadn't Gaara just killed him already? It would sure make things a hell of a lot easier!

Kiba sighed, "I'll go talk to him." He moved forward but Sasuke put an arm in front of him, "No, I'll go, it was my mistake, and you won't keep going when I'm the one who makes him like this."

Kiba blinked before putting his hands up, "Whatever man, if you say so, but don't come crying to me if he punches the fuck right out of you."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and strode up quietly to the fuming blond. When he wasn't noticed, he raised his fingers to tap him, but decided against it and put them back down. "Naruto."

Naruto stiffened and turned around slowly, wiping furiously at his eyes to keep threatening tears at bay. "What?" he clipped.

Sasuke's heart plunged down into his stomach, and before he even thought about it, "I'm sorry" flew right out of his mouth.

"No!" Naruto fisted his wet eyes angrily, half pissed at Sasuke and half pissed at himself. He didn't want to be angry with Sasuke, he didn't want to be anything with Sasuke! Happy, sad, angry – _nothing_! He shouldn't _want _acceptance from him! He shouldn't _care _about what Sasuke thought of him! He wanted _indifference_! But something about Sasuke...just wouldn't fucking let him _have _it!

"I can't believe you would think of us like that! I can't believe you'd think _I'd_ do something like that!" He didn't know half the things that were coming out of his mouth, "You haven't changed one fucking bit! Still _judging _us like we're lower than you!"

Sasuke knew he should've snapped back, should've pointed out that Naruto's drinking could've fooled anyone into thinking he did similar things, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't stand the thought of Naruto being upset with him, it..._hurt_. He took a deep breath and pulled Naruto's hands down by his wrists, then cupped the blond's face and gently swiped his thumbs under wet, blue eyes. He tried to smile reassuringly, even though his stomach was flipping like it was a caged animal. "I'm sorry, don't...please don't cry because of me."

Naruto was completely, utterly still, a pretty blush dusting his cheeks. Until the words sank in and he wrenched away from Sasuke's grasp, roughly wiping at all the wet spots on his face. "I'm not _crying_." he stated childishly, not wanting to believe he'd allow someone to have such power over him. That someone could matter enough to make him cry.

Sasuke smiled, "Good, it doesn't suit you."

Naruto slowed his movements and wiped his sleeve under his nose, looking up at the other through bleary eyes. "...You know how much I thought you changed."

"I have changed."

"Then why would you try and give me something like that?" he blurted out, not realizing that this conversation had taken a more personal turn.

Sasuke chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously for a moment before making a decision and answering best he could, "It's...complicated. Sometimes...my brother can talk me into things that I wouldn't normally think twice about. It's like he knows how my mind works, and worms his sick self through me, pushing just the right buttons to get me to do what he wants, and I always fall for it. No matter how much I refuse or claim that I make the decisions for myself, I know I always end up doing what he planned."

Sasuke paused as he realized that he was rambling. But he didn't care, it was the first time he could talk about his brother to someone who wouldn't jump to take Itachi's side. It felt good to finally tell someone who had an objective point of view about what a manipulative bastard his brother really is. He lifted a hand and tucked a tuft of blond hair behind Naruto's ear. "Like this. Somehow, he knew by giving me that I would end up hurting you like this. It was his goal, and I blindly played right into it."

He licked his lips and smiled, "But I'm sure what he didn't expect, was for me to come and straight out apologize to you. I swear, you are the only person alive who has dragged out so many 'I'm sorry's' from me. And at first, it was awkward and new, but now when I say it, it's sincere and I'm not embarrassed. So yes dobe, you have changed me, give yourself a pat on the back."

Naruto had a blank stare on his face, his lips parted slightly as he drank in every word the Uchiha said. He shook his head rapidly in an attempt to dissipate the awe, "Well that's a very nice speech Sasuke, but how do I know your apologies are sincere?"

The dark boy chuckled and ran his fingers through sunshine locks. He'd just discovered he liked Naruto's hair. It was soft and silky and felt just right between his fingers, no doubt from now on he'd give any excuse to touch it, "I'm not really asking for forgiveness, even though I am sorry, I don't think I deserve it. I'm asking for one more chance to show you that I've changed...and that I'm not out to hurt you, and I promise I won't anymore. I like you most when you're happy." The words were pouring out of him like a fountain, and he was a bit surprised to find that every one of them were true.

Naruto frowned, "Goddamn...you've got quite a way with words. You could get yourself out of any situation with a tongue like that."

"Hn, it's useful for other things too."

"...What?"

Sasuke chuckled. It was strange. Naruto was so fucking perverted at times, and at others, Sasuke could swear he had the mind of a five year old...well that was most of the time really. "Nothing dobe, let's go back, ne?"

Naruto blinked in innocent confusion but nodded anyway. He walked past Sasuke but stopped, slowly facing him again.

"What's wrong?" the Uchiha questioned worriedly.

Naruto flicked his eyes to meet with black ones, and Sasuke almost flinched at the intensity he saw in them. "Naruto, what's the matter?"

Naruto looked away for a moment and crossed his arms. "I don't know why I'm admitting this," he glanced back up at the pale boy, "But...listen because I won't say it again. Like you said, I know I'm no role model...and I know that sometimes my drinking gets out of hand...but...it really hurt me, that you thought I did things like that...I don't know why, but it did, and I'm asking you..." He bit his lip harshly, as if this were one of the hardest things he'd ever done in his entire years of existence. "Please...don't make me feel like that again...ever."

Sasuke actually jerked at the emotion in the words, and felt wave after wave of something wash over him. "I promise," these damn feelings again.

Naruto dropped his arms and gave a small smile, "Thanks."

He nodded and watched the blond turn and walk away, and he made a decision, "By the end of today, I'm going to find out what this feeling is...and I know who's going to tell me." he muttered as he looked up and locked gazes with cold, green eyes.

**x-X-0-X-x**

Sasuke twirled one of his bangs around a finger with a bored face as he waited for the others to get in. When they were all in and comfortable, he gripped the steering wheel and turned the key, the engine roaring to life.

Naruto, who was in the passenger seat, was flipping buttons and examining the interior with wide, curious eyes. "I've never ridden in a foreign car before! Lamborghinis go fast, right?"

"I'm not going to get a ticket just because your ADHD gives you a need for speed, dobe."

"Why not? You can pay for it easy!" He paused, fingertip hovering another switch. "Hey I do not have ADHD!"

"Tell me where I'm going please."

Naruto pouted and looked at the two in the back. "Today's going to be total slack fun!"

"Even after what happened this morning?"

"Uh...we're going to pretend that never happened. The crack is gone and we settled it out, so it never happened."

Kiba suddenly lurched forward in Naruto's face. "You and Sasuke were pretty touchy feely back there...is there something going on between you two?"

"Oh no," the blond threw a glance at the driver. "Sasuke, Kiba has discovered our secret relationship."

Sasuke smirked, "Whatever shall we do?"

Naruto laughed, "Yes Kiba, we've been fucking the hell out of each other every night. Why do you think he comes over to my place so often?"

"Ah ha! I knew it!"

Naruto shoved the boy back on the seat with one hand. "Shut up, dumbass." Naruto drummed his fingers on the headrest for a moment with a contemplative look before grinning widely and grabbing his seat with both hands. "Hey! I know what we can do! Gaara, didn't your brother just open a tattoo shop a couple of blocks from here?"

"Yes."

"Whelp! There you go! Drive Sasuke!"

A few minutes went by...Naruto coughed, "And we're not moving because...?"

"Tattoos?"

"Yeah."

"We're getting tattoos?"

"Uh-huh."

"The permanent ones?"

"Do you know any others?"

"Why? Shouldn't we have planned for this sort of thing?"

"Oh come on Sasuke, who shoved that stick back up your ass? Just drive the damn car and we'll discuss it when we get there."

Sasuke grunted a 'Fine' as he pulled out of the lot, looking in the rear view mirror to see Kiba bouncing up and down excitedly in his spot, and Gaara, impassive as always.

A few minutes and failed attempts to change Naruto's mind later, they were in front of a building labeled Poisonous Needles.

Sasuke frowned at the shop title, _Who the hell wants to go into tattoo shop with poisonous needles?  
_  
Naruto grinned and hopped out of the vehicle, Kiba not three steps behind him, while Gaara and Sasuke moved with a bit more grace.

"Kankuro!" the blond threw himself around a tall, brunet man with a purple pattern of lines tattooed all over his face.

"Naruto? Kiba? What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" he looked up when the door opened and two more people, including his younger brother, walked in. "...What is this? What are you all doing here?"

Naruto slid up next to Sasuke, "We're here to get tattoos, what else would you come to a tattoo shop for?"

Kankuro scratched his head for a moment before shrugging, "Can't say I didn't skip too. Whatever, if it means money for me, go ahead and pick what you want."  
Naruto nodded and patted Sasuke's back. "Alright money man, do your stuff."

"Now wait a minute dobe, I never agreed to getting a tattoo, you said we would discuss this."

"Okay, we're all getting tattoos, and you're paying. There, it's discussed!"

Coal eyes narrowed.

"Stop being such a hardass! Don't you want a tattoo?"

"Not really."

"C'mon, look at Kankuro! He looks like a warrior!"

"He _looks _like a _clown_."

"Oh don't be like that you prick!"

Sasuke was about to continue protesting when an idea popped into his dark head, and he smirked, "Fine, I'll get one on a condition."

"What?"

"We pick for each other."

"...Each other?"

"Yeah, you pick one for me and I pick one for you." Sasuke wasn't too thrilled about getting a tattoo, but he had to admit, he was curious to see what Naruto would pick for him.

"Hm...that actually sounds fun...okay, but we also get to pick the spots we get them on!"

"Hn, fine, but please, don't pick something too...provocative."

"Man, you just have to suck the fun out of everything, don't you?" Naruto turned around to a huge wall of pictures and began searching.

Sasuke snorted and went to the opposite wall, glancing at Kiba who was animatedly showing a picture to a 'I honestly couldn't care less' Gaara.

He scanned the wall of intricate patterns, crude sayings and busty women until his eyes fell on something that caught his interest.

A spiral.

He quirked a brow and traced the design with his finger. The swirl was even, and it reminded him of how much Naruto confused him, "Perfect." He turned around, only to find the blond he'd been thinking of in his face, holding up a piece of paper with three dots on it, each one with a tail curving in from the end, all three making a disconnected circle. "What's that?"

"The one I picked for you."

"Why'd you pick that one?"

Naruto flipped the paper to look at it, "Not sure really...but somehow...I just think it matches you." He smiled and looked back up, "What'd you pick for me?"

Sasuke took the paper out of the other's hand and studied it for a moment, then pointed to the drawing behind him.

Naruto leaned down to examine it, "A spiral? It's pretty neat...I like it, why'd you pick it?"

"Because you confuse the hell out of me."

"What? How?"

"Don't worry about it, now where do you want me to have this?"

Naruto grinned.

"A _decent _spot."

"Che..." The blond stood up straight and placed a finger on the juncture between Sasuke's neck and shoulder. Sasuke felt heat erupt from the contact, and a trail of fire burn hotly as the finger slid forward, ending up right at the back of the curve of his neck.

Naruto tapped the finger twice and smiled, "Right here."

...Was Sasuke supposed to respond to that? He didn't think he could...he was sure the words would get stuck in his saliva deprived mouth, but he tried anyway, "Why there?" Ahh, communication successful.

"Think about it, your dad will be super pissed if he finds out you got a tattoo, but he'll be even _more _pissed if it's in a spot that makes it look like you were trying to hide it from him." He let his hand slip away, and the pale boy really had to stretch his willpower not to let a palm fly up to touch the warm skin.

Damn it, he was tired of Naruto making him feel like some giggling school girl, and it just so happens that this was a perfect chance to give him a taste of his own medicine, "Well, I'm impressed, that's pretty smart thinking for a baka."

"Ha!" Naruto puffed out his chest, "You're just mad because you didn't think of it first!"

"Hn, want to know where I want yours?"

"Sure!"

Sasuke smiled wickedly, "Right here." He quickly slipped his hand under Naruto's shirt and pressed his palm flat against the toned stomach.

Naruto's chest deflated immediately, a flaming blush colored his entire face and his jaw dropped.

Sasuke chuckled and leaned down, swirling a finger around the stomach as if the spiral were already there, "I want it right here, around your navel." He was a bit surprised by his own boldness, but the look on the other's face urged him onward. A surge of excitement ran straight to his groin when he slid the hand up a bit, making Naruto whimper softly, and he placed his other palm on the small of a tan back, pushing it inward. God, he felt really hot all of a sudden, and Naruto's skin was burning beneath his fingers.

Hoping he'd proven his point (at least to himself), he pulled his hands out and straightened up before things escalated into something more complicated than they already were.

Naruto was panting slightly, eyes wide. "Oh...okay then...um..."

"Let's go see what the others picked." Sasuke offered.

"Yeah! Yeah that's a good idea!"

They turned around awkwardly and joined Kiba and Gaara. The brunet stared at the flustered Naruto. "What's up with you? You're all red."

"N-nothing!" Naruto responded a bit to defensively. "What'd you pick?"

Kiba grinned and proudly pointed to a pair of red stripes on the wall, "Pretty cool huh? I'm getting them right under my eyes!"

Naruto nodded, "Gaara?"

The stoic boy simply tilted his head to a symbol, the kanji symbol for 'love.'

Naruto's brows furrowed, "You serious?"

Gaara nodded and moved his bangs out of his face, "Corner of my forehead."

Naruto scowled and turned away from the group, "Why would you want to pick something so useless and stupid?" he muttered.

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up at the venom in the blond's words.

Gaara shrugged, "It's what I chose."

Naruto bit his lip, then snorted dismissively, "Fine, whatever, let's go." He made his way over to Kankurou to get his tattoo.

Sasuke stood rooted to the spot. There was no doubt in his mind about choosing the spiral for Naruto, because there was no question, Naruto definitely confused the hell out of him.


	8. Whispers Part Two

****

xxxChapter 7: Whispers (Part Two)xxx

A couple of hours later, all four boys exited the shop (after Sasuke made Kankuro one very happy, very _loaded_, tattoo artist) and peeled off the white fabric to sport their new tattoos.

Naruto lifted his shirt above his chest and stared at the spiral on his stomach, his dark mood gone. "You've got good taste Sasuke, this looks really cool! I bet I'll get tons of girls with this!"

Normally, Sasuke would either ignore a comment like that or throw an insult at it out of jealousy, but right now, he was too busy trying to keep himself from ogling Naruto. The rigid, toned stomach seemed somehow even more appealing with the black spiral now surrounding its navel, and he really had to put in an effort no to stare.

Sasuke softly pressed a palm against the still tender flesh on his neck, lightly skimming his fingers over the spots where he assumed the circles would be.

Kankuro had rubbed some kind of cream on them that allowed the swelling to heal up to four times as fast as normal, so the skin was just an angry red color and a bit sore, but nothing disgusting or infected looking. This was unusual to Sasuke, as he knew tattoos must need at least a week to heal. He questioned the legality of the cream, to which Kankuro simply said that if he could get his hands on something that gave him an advantage over other tattoo parlors, then he would take it without a second thought. Sasuke didn't question further.

Kiba wouldn't stop looking at himself through the window of a shop. He kept touching the lines and turning his face this way and that with a toothy grin. "Damn...I didn't think it was possible...but I look even hotter than I did before!"

Gaara was standing with his arms crossed and a small smile, the symbol displayed proudly on his forehead.

Naruto dropped his shirt and grinned. "So now that we've all achieved the level of badass, let's go see a movie."

Sasuke frowned. "A movie? I don't want to go see a movie." He muttered.

Naruto's brow crinkled. "Why not?"

"They bore me."

"Huh...they bore you." Naruto deadpanned. He stared Sasuke down for a few seconds before cupping his ear with his hand. "Listen...do you hear that, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked at him oddly. "What?"

"That sound..."

Sasuke looked to Kiba, who looked just as confused as he was and Gaara, who was simply disinterested with the whole quarrel. He gave a frustrated snort. "What sound?"

"The sound of me not caring what '_bores_' you. We're going to see a movie, you're paying and buying me a large popcorn, and you know what else? You're gonna enjoy it." Naruto proclaimed.

Sasuke crossed his arms, raising a brow. "So I don't have any say in this."

"Nope."

"Remind me Naruto, who died and made you head bitch?"

Naruto grinned widely and laced his fingers behind his head. "Actually, I think you owe me Sasuke, for that episode we had this morning."

Sasuke shut up immediately, his features turning remorseful as his arms fell away to his sides. "You're right; I'm sorry...What movie do you all want to see?"

Naruto's face went solemn, and he felt a bit of guilt pool in his stomach. It wasn't his intention to sadden Sasuke; he was just trying to play around. He coughed awkwardly and fisted his shirt, "Don't get like that Sasuke, I wasn't being serious, we don't have to go to a movie if you don't want to."

Sasuke glanced up at the other boy and felt...something stir inside him at his tone of concern. And surprisingly, the stirring wasn't in his pants.

Kiba waved his hand spastically between the two boys. "Hey! Screw both of you and your stupid fights. I wanna go see a movie, so we're going."

Naruto smiled, thankful that his friend's bluntness had broken the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Whatever you say Kiba."

**x-X-0-X-x**

Did Sasuke say he didn't like movies?

That was a lie. A huge lie. Sasuke _loved _movies!

When they got to the theatre, Naruto was pressed on seeing a comedy, but Kiba kept insisting on horror, and Naruto caved in.

So now, Sasuke had a very frightened Naruto practically on top of him, face shoved in his neck, and holding his arm in a vice-grip.

An ear splitting scream exploded from the theatre speakers, making Naruto jump a mile high and wrap his arms around Sasuke's neck, pushing his face in further and mumbling what sounded like "It's only a movie" repeatedly to himself.

However, the movie wasn't bothering Sasuke in the least. They didn't entertain him, because when you got right down to it, all of it was computers and special effects. Nothing was real, nothing was really happening, so it bored him. And if he was in the mood for a good story, then he'd go read a book, not go see some movie.

Oh but Sasuke was enjoying _this _movie very much, that was for sure.

Naruto peeked up hesitantly at the giant screen, only to be met with the sight of the screaming woman having her head chopped clean off, blood spewing everywhere, sickening and almost enough to make a surgeon's stomach churn.

Naruto quickly looked away and unconsciously pressed the entire front of his body against Sasuke's right side. Sasuke smiled almost reflexively and felt his "soldier" begin to stand at attention. He placed his lips next to the quivering boy's ear, "You scared dobe?"

Naruto lifted his head and glared at him. "No!" Another scream paired with maniacal laughter and his head went right back. "May-maybe a little."

Sasuke chuckled. "But you can handle 'The House of The Living Dead' with no problem."

"That's different!"

"How so?"

Naruto whimpered at the humming of a chainsaw and pressed his body against Sasuke's as much as physically possible, his face completely hidden in the pale neck. "Don't stop talking! I don't want to hear it!"

Sasuke grinned, his palms growing warm as Naruto's lips teased against his throat, and he silently thanked the Gods that the section of the theatre they'd chosen to sit in didn't have armrests on the chairs. "You're not going to have nightmares tonight, are you?"

"Sh-shut up!"

The sound of bones being crushed.

"Ah! No! No don't shut up!"

Sasuke simply laughed.

****

x-X-0-X-x

"Un – I...I think I'm gonna throw up." Kiba moaned as he hunched over and grabbed his stomach.

"What?! _You _were the one who wanted to see that gore fest in the first place! I _told _you we should've seen a comedy!"

"Shut up and come with me to the bathroom!"

Naruto groaned and reluctantly followed Kiba into the men's room.

So it was just Sasuke and Gaara...what fun.

Sasuke exhaled a sigh through his nose and looked up at the red head standing next to him amid the bustle of people. The new tattoo on his forehead caught his eye, and the memory of Naruto's sudden mood swing bubbled up, knitting his eyebrows. "Gaara."

"What?"

"That symbol...why did Naruto react so negatively to it?"

Then Gaara did something Sasuke had _never _seen him do before: flinch with surprise. It was slight, quick, and barely noticeable, but it happened.

Gaara's lids fluttered shut and he uncrossed his arms, relaxing himself before glancing at Sasuke, jade eyes regarding him coolly. "That's not my place to say." he murmured.

Sasuke felt his curiosity peak. For Gaara to actually react with a flicker of emotion, it had to be something big, and if something had happened to Naruto, something bad, then damn it, Sasuke wanted to know!

_Fuck_, that damn protective feeling was simmering up again. He grit his teeth. _This is getting out of hand_. If he didn't figure out these emotions soon, he was sure he'd either explode or go insane due to his own frustrations.

Realization dawned on him, and he glanced hesitantly at Gaara, looking him up and down.

This was a perfect chance to ask him, the chance he'd been waiting for. Despite his rather intimidating, icy exterior, Gaara seemed wise beyond his years, and he always had a good control over things. Surely he'd be able to explain Sasuke's emotions? Sasuke's once vast ocean of pride had gradually been reduced to a splashing puddle, so what was there to lose?

"Gaara...I need to ask you something."

Gaara had never taken his eyes off him, "A question?"

"A...personal question."

A nonexistent eyebrow rose. "Isn't that something Naruto would be better to talk with?"

"It's...about Naruto."

Gaara tilted his head. "Is that so? What's your question?"

Sasuke bit his lip. Was he really going to do this? Was he really going to crush his own pride (or what was left of it) by spilling his guts to _Gaara _of all people?

An uninvited picture of Naruto rushed to the forefront of his mind...Oh yes, he was going to do it.

"I've...I've been having these feelings for Naruto that...I've never experienced before." He took a breath, "I know I'm...infatuated with him, but it's more than physical attraction. I care about how _he _feels, and I want _him _to be happy, even if it means sacrificing my _own _happiness...and whenever he's doing something stupid that I know isn't good for him, my body acts on its own, I get protective and ramble about things I shouldn't."

Sasuke looked down and lifted his hand in the air, brow crumpled as he tried to explain himself, "He has this..._control _over me, and I can't decide if I hate it or like it...it's different with him. I can't stand it when he's upset with me, it's almost like physical pain...and he pisses me off but I find it easy to forgive him or apologize if I hurt him."

Sasuke glanced worriedly at the bathroom entrance before continuing, feeling the heat in his face grow and the puddle of his pride shrink with each word that fell from his lips, "I have no idea how to handle it, and it would be so much easier if I knew just what the hell I was feeling, and why I can't control it."

Gaara stayed quiet, waiting to see if the Uchiha was done. When he was sure Sasuke wouldn't utter a word, he lifted a hand and ran his slim fingers over his tattoo, trailing them through his hair, and then letting them fall limp to his side. "You really had to come ask me this? You're clearly in love with him."

Sasuke quirked a thin eyebrow, "I'm...I'm what now?"

"It is painfully obvious, Uchiha, that you are in love with Naruto."

"..._Love_?"

Gaara nodded.

"That...that is the biggest piece of cliché bullshit I've ever heard! I am not in _love _with him!" Was this guy out of his fucking _mind_? Sasuke did not fall in _love _with people! "You're wrong! It's...it's gotta be something else!"

"You asked me a question and I answered it, whether you choose to believe me or not is your own problem."

Sasuke scowled. There was no way Gaara was right. Sasuke had never been in love with someone, he'd never even had a serious relationship with anyone. Wanting to have sex with Naruto was okay, even wanting to be friends with him was acceptable, but love? That was something far more serious than he would like it to be.

And Sasuke vehemently denied that he had fallen into such a thing.

"Jeez Kiba, you vomited every color of the rainbow in there! I was half expecting you to start shitting glitter too!"

Sasuke looked up as Naruto's voice sliced through his thoughts with perfect precision. And the second he met with that bottomless blue gaze, deep as any ocean, he knew Gaara had hit the nail right on the head.

He was in love with Naruto.

_Fucking terrific._

****

x-X-0-X-x

Naruto was about to touch the doorknob when Sasuke abruptly wrapped a hand around it and kept it shut.

Naruto flicked his eyes up at the other with a light frown. "Um...I'm sorry Sasuke, is there a reason you're not letting me into my apartment?"

"Did you forget already?"

"Forget what?"

Sasuke smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a square sheet of paper and handing it to Naruto.

Naruto took it with a raised eyebrow and unfolded the faded parchment, revealing it to be his math test. His eyes widened. "Oh yeah! I'm getting a reward!"

"Five rewards, to be precise."

"Holy fuck, just because I got a decent grade on a test?"

"For how much you've improved...and just because I felt like it."

"No..._you_? Actually did something for _me _out of the kindness of your heart?" He glanced at Sasuke's chest. "_Is _there kindness in there? Way, way deep inside?"

"Hn" Sasuke lightly pushed the other out of the way and turned the knob. "You'd be surprised at some of the things I'm willing to do for you." He didn't give the boy a chance to respond as he opened the door and shoved the other inside, coming in and closing the door behind them.

Naruto gave him a quick glare for the shove, but then scanned the apartment for any signs of something different. He glanced from his bed to the window with the night sky and half moon outside and raised a brow at the quiet Sasuke. "Nothing's different...Is it somewhere else? It's not something stupid like 'pride in a job well done' is it?"

Sasuke smirked, "Surprise number one." He stood behind Naruto and flipped something, making Naruto shield his eyes from the sudden brightness. He blinked slowly as his enlarged pupils shrunk, and after a few moments of shock, he gaped at Sasuke. "You _bought _me electricity?!"

Sasuke ruffled blonde spikes. "See? Now you don't have to go to sleep at six anymore. Now, surprise number two." He pressed a hand to the small of Naruto's back and led him into the brightly lit kitchen, where Naruto was met with the sight of: "A microwave? Why'd you get me that?"

"For surprise number three." Sasuke let go of Naruto and opened a cupboard, filled to the brim with all types of instant ramen.

Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, and he swore he almost orgasmed at the sight of all that ramen. "How did you get all this in here without me knowing?!"

A cocky smile spread itself on Sasuke's face. "I think you've forgotten who I am, dobe. Now, for surprise number four." He reached into his pocket.

"Sasuke...I don't know if I can handle something else, all these things are kind of a sho – you got me a _phone_?!"

"Cell phone, gave one to Kiba and Gaara as well."

"What? When?"

"At the theatre, but you were very busy flirting with the concession stand girl, so I figured to give you yours later. I already added Kiba, Gaara, and my number to the address book." He placed the tiny – and very expensive looking – phone in the Naruto's hand.

Naruto stared wide eyed at the contraption, then around his "new" apartment. "Sasuke...this is all incredible, and I really appreciate it, but...I can't keep up with all these bills, you know that."

Sasuke smiled. "Which brings me to surprise five, all of your bills will now be paid by me."

"...What?"

"Water, light, cell, rent, every month the collectors will draw the money from my account, so you don't have to do anything."

"Are you...serious? You're not kidding, are you?"

"Dobe, why would I joke about something like this? Of course I'm serious." He let out a surprised gasp when Naruto yanked him into a crushing hug; slim arms wrapped around his torso and tanned face pressed into his neck. "Thank you" brushed against the skin in a sincere whisper, and just as quickly as it had happened, Naruto let go and pulled back, fisting an eye that threatened to let tears slip out.

Naruto couldn't believe this; he really didn't have to worry anymore. He didn't have to go month to month stretching what little money he had in order to accommodate all his needs. Sasuke had no idea how much this helped him. He smiled up at him, "Fifty bucks says this is the most selfless thing you've ever done. I have taught you well young grasshopper." He joked.

"You dobe, I'm not paying you anything. But I'm glad you like everything, I really wanted to make things good, or at least easier for you."

"My my, will you look at that? A selfless tongue too." Naruto looked at the phone in his hand. "You know what?" He looked back up at Sasuke, a huge grin on his face. "We're going out."

"Out?"

"Mhm, celebration."

"Celebration for what?"

Naruto smiled and pulled at Sasuke's hand. "Do we need a reason?"

**x-X-0-X-x**

Sasuke had never been to a club. He'd also never dealt with a drunk person before...Hell, Sasuke had never even _seen _a drunk person before.

Well, then it's a good thing that Naruto wasn't drunk. Oh no, Naruto wasn't drunk at all.

Nope. Naruto, was _wasted_.

"Hey Sas'ke! How cum you don't drink huh? All you had is water water water! You – you gotta loosen up!"

"That's okay dobe; I prefer to be sober since I am the one driving." Sasuke stated dryly as he watched Naruto's glassy eyes roam over the dance floor.

The club owner just happened to be Gaara's sister, Temari, and she'd let them in and then let Naruto drink to his heart's content, even though Sasuke tried several times to get him to stop and go home.

Temari came over and leaned against the bar counter. She was the bartender as well, because it just seemed that Gaara's entire family carried 'cool genes' or something, "Having fun guys?"

Naruto looked at her and brightened up. "Temari! You look so _good _tonight! I mean, you're already hot, but with your hair down, you look totally BANGABLE!"

"Yeah?" She ran her fingers through her loose hair. "Thank you Naruto."

Naruto chuckled and nodded, then out of nowhere slung an arm around Sasuke. "Hey Sasuke, what's...what's that song?"

Sasuke raised a brow and looked at the moving bodies on the dance floor beneath the rapidly changing lights. "The song that's playing?"

"No! No...It's an _oldie_...I think...how'd it go?"

"I don't know Naruto; there are a lot of -"

"Shh sh sh! I remember!" He took a deep breath and exhaled it in Sasuke's face, "Oooooooone is the looooooonliest number theeeere could ever beeeee!...Twooooo can be as baaad as ooone, 'cept when it's you and meeeeee!"

"I...don't think that's how the song goes, Naruto."

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Yes it is."

"No, I'm fairly sure it doesn't."

"Meh..."

Sasuke shot a light glare at Temari, "Why did you allow him to get like this?"

Temari frowned and put down the glass she was cleaning. "Naruto's had it tough... He deserves to let loose every once in a while."

Sasuke eyebrows rose. She had that same sullen expression that Gaara had when Sasuke had asked him about Naruto's reaction to the whole love symbol affair. "What happened to him?"

Temari raked shaky fingers through her hair. "It's not something we should talk about, especially in front of him."

"He's drunk off his _ass_-"

"It doesn't matter!" She snapped.

Sasuke flinched at her tone before feeling a tug at his sleeve, he looked down at Naruto.

"Sas'ke," Naruto breathed, his hand sliding across Sasuke's chest until fingers circled his shoulder. "Come dance with me."

"I don't think so, not when you're like this."

Naruto frowned and slammed a hand on the table. "You don't refuse me! I OWN you!"

Sasuke blinked owlishly. "...You..._own _me?"

"YES!" Naruto held out a hand to Temari, who laughed and pulled out a black marker from her pocket, placing it in Naruto's palm. Naruto then grabbed Sasuke's right hand and pulled off the cap of the marker with his teeth. He flipped the hand over and Sasuke watched with mild interest as his skin was marked. When the dobe finished, he lifted the hand and read what was written. "Nrto?"

Naruto nodded triumphantly. "It's the abbremaliation!"

"...Abbreviation?"

"NO! Wait...yes...no...I...ramen..." He moaned and licked his lips at the thought of his favorite food, then smiled at Sasuke. "What were we talkin' about?"

Sasuke groaned and buried his head in his hands.

Naruto blinked. "Hey Sasuke, come dance with me!"

Any other time, Sasuke would've jumped at the chance, but not when Naruto was as drunk as a hooker at Mardi Gras. "I already said no, dobe."

Naruto scowled and abruptly stood up. "Fine! I'm going to dance by my own!"

"By _yourself_?"

"By. My. _Own_!" Naruto yelled and placed a foot on the bar counter, then both feet, getting up on it.

Sasuke raised a brow. "Naruto...what are you doing?"

Naruto smirked. "_Dancing_." He began rolling his hips in time with the beat, getting a good rhythm on it before beginning to pop open the buttons on his shirt.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Whoa whoa, hey! What the hell do you think you're doing Naruto?!"

Naruto took his bottom lip between his teeth and smiled as a crowd began to form around him, watching his shirt flutter to the counter as he arched and ran his fingers through his hair, hips still thrusting back and forth in sync with the tempo of the music.

Sasuke blushed and panted slightly as he watched Naruto perform his seductive dance, but he snapped out of it when he heard cheering around as a result from Naruto pulling down the zipper of his jeans. And a girl, sounding suspiciously like Temari, yell out, "Whoo yeah! Take it off!"

Before he could even think, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's legs and yanked him off the counter. Naruto whined in protest before Sasuke grabbed the discarded shirt and maneuvered the boy to the door, hearing woots and cat calls all the way there.

When they were at his car, he opened the passenger door and shoved Naruto inside, tossing the shirt on his lap. Then he went around to his side and got in, slamming the door and stabbing the key into the keyhole, turning it with more force than necessary.

Naruto watched the whole scene with mild fascination, and when Sasuke pulled out of the lot, he leaned towards the driver and breathed hotly in his ear, "Are you mad Sas'ke?"

Sasuke snapped to him with a glare. "What the hell is wrong with you, huh? How could you go and do something like that?"

Naruto pouted and laid his head down on Sasuke's lap, pulling a gasp from the boy and making it very hard for him to concentrate on the road. "But you didn't dance with me." He complained softly.

"Naruto..." Sasuke was testing every bit of self control he had not to look down at the half naked blond lying on his lap. "Naruto get up, you're distracting me and you'll make me have an accident."

"You...make _me _have an accident."

"Agh, what?"

"I dun like it...you're making me break a promise...to my own."

"To yourself?"

Naruto nodded blankly. "To myself."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke was making Naruto break a promise he made to himself? "You're drunker than I thought you were."

Naruto groaned and shifted on Sasuke's lap, rubbing his cheek right against the other's groin. Sasuke gasped and gripped the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turned white. "Ah, Naruto get off! I can't concentrate!"

"You want me to get off?"

"Yes!"

Naruto chuckled and lifted a hand slowly. He slid his fingertips underneath Sasuke's shirt, stroking the warm skin and making Sasuke stiffen. "Me too" Naruto murmured huskily.

"Shit." Sasuke breathed. Getting horny while driving was _not _a good direction to be headed in. "Naruto get UP! I _mean _it!"

Naruto glanced up at him, his eyes milky. "Do you really?"

"Naruto! Please! I am going to CRASH! We're almost there, please, just get up!"

Naruto exhaled a soft sigh and did as he was told, sitting up and leaning against the window.

Sasuke felt a huge pressure go down and his heart stopped racing as he pulled into a reserved parking spot in the apartment complex. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel for a moment and took deep, calming breaths before getting out and going around to Naruto's side.

Sasuke pulled Naruto out and wrapped an arm around his waist, having Naruto's own arm slung around his neck. He kicked the door shut and began walking to the apartment, grateful that Naruto lived on ground floor, but feeling that the door was just too damn far away for his liking right now. Naruto was panting against his neck and placing his full weight on him, and Sasuke could do nothing to control the blood rushing to his crotch from the proximity.

Naruto suddenly coughed. "Suke...wait...I think I'm gonna..." He wrenched away from Sasuke's hold and fell on the grass, making a hacking noise and then emptying the contents of his stomach on the ground.

Sasuke scrunched his nose up a bit but rubbed Naruto's bare back in small circles, enjoying the feel of the warm, smooth skin beneath his fingers.

Naruto abruptly stood up and collapsed against Sasuke, sliding down his body slowly, feeling every hard curve move under his chest and he groaned when he was on his knees on the ground, cheek resting on Sasuke's thigh and putting his face right in view of Sasuke's hard on. He grinned and pointed to the bulge. "Looks like you got a problem there...a big one." He laughed at his own joke.

Sasuke didn't even want to think about how red his face was, he simply picked Naruto up and carried him bridal style, not caring who saw them. He just wanted to get inside the damn apartment and put the blond to bed.

Naruto suddenly threw his head back and began giggling uncontrollably, fisting a hand in Sasuke's hair for no particular reason as he was carried to the door.

Sasuke fumbled with the key for a moment before turning the knob and kicking the door open, nearly tripping on his way inside. He sighed in relief when he reached Naruto's bed and threw the boy on top of it, feeling more like he'd just climbed Mount Everest with his bare hands rather than just bringing his drunk crush home.

He started when Naruto groaned and threw a tan arm over his eyes. "Susuke..."

"_Sasuke_."

Naruto smiled. "Mmmm...yes please."

Sasuke blushed. "I'm not even going to _try _and figure out what you meant by that." He sighed and bent down, yanking off Naruto's jeans leaving him only in boxers to sleep in, which made Naruto start his fit of giggles again.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and threw the jeans to some random corner of the room before stripping himself down to his own boxers as well.

Naruto's eyes roamed up and down the pale body, and he lifted a finger to trace the line of dark hair that ran down Sasuke's stomach. Sasuke's eyes widened and he quickly, albeit regretfully, caught Naruto's wrist. "What are you doing?" He questioned softly but sharply.

Naruto stared impassively at his captured hand for a second before giving Sasuke a smoky gaze. "Do you know you're very purty Suke?"

Sasuke blinked before smiling. "Am I now? Is that you or the alcohol talking?"

Naruto grinned and closed his eyes, tilting his head upward. "Mmm...I needa tell you something."

Sasuke raised a brow and leaned down to the Naruto's face, only to get jerked down so his ear was next to Naruto's lips. "Did you know...the cow goes moo?"

Sasuke frowned at him. "Um...I'm...glad you're aware of that, Naruto."

Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah...and the horsh..."

"The horse?"

Naruto bit his lip with a smile and nodded again. "Yeeeaaah...the horsh goes _meow_."

"Uh...no, Naruto, that's not right. The cat goes meow, not the horse."

Naruto's brow crumpled as if that was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. "No it does not."

"Yes, it does."

Naruto let go of Sasuke and flopped back on the bed. "You're lying to me again!"

Sasuke went into slight panic. "No, no Naruto, it's true, I'm not lying."

"Yes you are!"

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's chin and forced him to look at him. "Look at me; I'm not lying to you, okay? You're drunk, you probably think the sky is green and the grass is blue."

Naruto looked offended. "I is not!"

"I _am _not."

"Yes! That's RIGHT!" Naruto shoved a finger in the air before letting it fall above his head and beginning to laugh again.

Sasuke groaned and let go of his chin, seeing that this wasn't going anywhere. He laid down on his futon next to Naruto's bed and covered himself...

"Ah! Sas'ke where'd you go?!"

Sasuke shot up and found the frightened blond sitting up on his bed. When he caught Naruto's eyes, the boy threw himself around him and sobbed into his shoulder. "I thought you had _gone_!" He cried.

Sasuke stood up and patted Naruto's back reassuringly, finding this to be extremely exhausting. "It's okay, I'm right here next to you." He pointed to the futon.

Naruto frowned and then glared hatefully at the thing. "Why you on the floor?"

"I always sleep down there."

"Why?"

"Why? Because that's where you tell me to sleep."

Naruto's face twisted up in confusion. "That's a lie; I dun want you down there."

"You don't want me down there?"

"No, I don't want to be alone."

Sasuke pulled away from him. "But you're not alone." He yelped when Naruto yanked him onto the bed roughly, a distant look in his blue eyes.

"I want you here Sas'ke...with me."

Sasuke felt his mouth part, his heart-beat loud and booming against his chest. "What do you mean?"

Naruto smiled and laid down, scooting over and forcing Sasuke to lie down as well. He threw the sheet over both of their bodies. "With me," his arm crossed over Sasuke's chest, curling around him and pulling him close. "So I'm not alone."

Something coiled in Sasuke's stomach at the emotion brimming in Naruto's eyes. He didn't trust his voice to respond, so he nodded instead, and ran his fingers through golden locks, watching with blurry fascination as the other drifted into sleep.

* * *

**Drunk Naruto is so much fun to write~ |D**


	9. Views

**_A/N: bold italics - memories/flashbacks

* * *

_**

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**"If I told you, then they wouldn't be secrets anymore, would they Quinn?"**

Beck McKaye - "Whistler"

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**xxxChapter 8: Viewsxxx**

Naruto groaned at the sunlight hitting his face, lifting a hand to block out the nuisance, when he felt something shift in his hair.

"Nhn...what?" His nose scrunched up in annoyance as he reached up, running a hand through his hair until it bumped into something. He frowned and touched the object, noting that it was slim and warm, and there was more than one.

Naruto sighed and brought his hands to his eyes, fisting the sleep out of them and blinking groggily. His head was throbbing. Reaching up again, he grabbed the thing, bringing it down to his face only to find himself looking at a pale hand.

Naruto's eyes snapped to the side, widening at Sasuke's sleeping face. He dropped the hand. "Wh-what the hell?" He whispered. What the hell was Sasuke doing in his bed? He abruptly sat up, and then regretted it. A searing pain sliced through his head, making him hiss as his hands flew up to cradle it. "_Fuck_!" His eyes shut tightly with the quiet curse.

Naruto gasped when he was suddenly shoved back on the bed, the throbbing in his head refusing to recede as something curled around his throat, constricting it.

He coughed as the pressure tightened, slowly squeezing the air out of his lungs and digging nails into his skin. Blue eyes opened hesitantly, met with the sight of amused gold ones.

The man smiled slowly, revealing a row of white teeth that, if looked at closely, could resemble the sinister fangs of a snake. "It's not very manner like to keep your guests waiting, Naruto."

Naruto coughed again, his eyes going impossibly wide from shock. He reached up and wrapped both hands around the man's wrist, whose own hand held steady around his neck. "Oro...Orochi..." was all he could gasp out.

"Ahh, you remember me, I'm touched."

Naruto swore his heart stopped momentarily. Orochimaru was...here? Orochimaru was still _free_? _Alive_?

Saliva pooled in his mouth as Orochimaru squeezed harder. "What...are you..."

"Doing here? Ah, well, you see, I was chatting with my..."friend", if you will, when he let it slip that his troublesome otouto had become very attached to a gorgeous blond named Naruto. Why, my heart jumped at the sound of your name, and of course, I just had to come and see you Naruto, it has been such a long time. And my my, how much you've _grown_!"

Orochimaru squeezed even harder, making Naruto's breath ragged. "You've turned into quite a delicious sight over the years. Not that you weren't attractive before, but age has done nothing but kindness for you. And you must tell me," he lifted a finger and ran it along the tremulous boy's cheek. "Where did these curious marks come from? I'm sure you didn't have them before the…" he licked his lips and smiled, a sadistic gleam in the slit of his eyes, "_incident_."

A barrage of painful memories rushed forward and swam uninvited through Naruto's mind at that sentence.

_**What's wrong with her?**_

_**You're parents are dead kid, I'm sorry.**_

_**We have a lot in common.**_

_**I don't trust him, it's like a rat working for a snake.**_

_**Come live with me.**_

_**Don't go.**_

_**He's dead.**_

_**No!**_

_**They left him to die.**_

_**He can't be!**_

_**I'm sorry.**_

_**Never again...**  
_  
A horrible feeling of emptiness spread to every nerve in his body, and out of anger, he rammed a knee up into Orochimaru's stomach, but it was pinned down by the man's leg as he climbed on the bed. "Now Naruto, you don't want to get violent with someone who clearly has the advantage here. I've already taken one person who was precious to you, what makes you think I won't do it again?"

"I'll _kill _you!" Naruto choked out in a hoarse but stern yell, which resulted in the other man switching his hand from throat to mouth.

Orochimaru chuckled and leaned down, his long black hair falling over his shoulder and brushing against Naruto's face. "That's a very serious threat." He whispered mockingly. "But honestly Naruto, I don't think you could hurt a fly."

Naruto felt a slight pressure building up behind his eyes, his vision blurred. This man should be _dead_! Or at least rotting in prison for all the things he's done! What the hell were the fucking cops _doing_? Orochimaru should have been caught _years _ago!

He shifted a frantic glance to the phone by his bed... If he could move fast enough, then there was a chance he could reach it and...

Orochimaru followed his gaze and let out a cold laugh. "I do hope you're not planning on calling the police, Naruto." He reached behind him and into his pocket, pulling out a knife and placing it right over Sasuke's throat. "That is unless, you want something rather unpleasant to befall your pretty friend."

Naruto's eyes widened and he rapidly shook his head from side to side in a quiet beg.

Orochimaru smiled. "I must say, I knew the Uchiha was a sight to see," he flicked his eyes over to the sleeping teen, "but he is much more beautiful in person, almost as pretty as your friend was, wouldn't you agree?"

Naruto could hear his heartbeat thudding in his ears as he stared helplessly at Sasuke's still figure, breathing harshly as he glanced at the poised knife. Why was Sasuke still asleep? Surely he'd be aware of the movement and voices around him... But he supposed it was better that he wasn't awake; he couldn't allow Orochimaru to see how much Sasuke affected him.

"Oh my," the man smirked with malice, "you've allowed yourself to develop feelings for this boy, haven't you?"

Naruto's eyes darkened, but he didn't move.

Orochimaru let out a laugh that racked his body with shivers of foreboding. "Well I certainly hope that won't be a problem, because your presence does seem to cause quite a bit of trouble for those you hold dear to you."

Those words were and uncomfortable tightness that gripped Naruto's chest, and he grew anxious as Sasuke remained sleeping.

Blood drained from Naruto's face.

"What did you do to him?!" He muffled angrily through the hand on his mouth, making the elder male smile.

"I wanted to be sure that he wouldn't wake up during our conversation, don't worry, he's still alive."

Naruto felt his muscles relax a bit, but tense again at Orochimaru's snicker.

"You really care for this boy. I thought you would have learned your lesson the first time around, but I suppose that can't be helped." He directed Naruto's attention to the knife, grinning with sinister intentions.

"Life is such a contradictory thing, isn't it Naruto? It's so powerful, gives you the opportunity, the freedom to choose whoever you want to be, do whatever you want to do." He glanced at the Uchiha. "You can become bright, successful and adored by everyone, like Sasuke here." He switched back to Naruto. "Or you can be weak, pathetic, useless, and shunned, more like you. It's all a matter of choice."

Naruto growled beneath the hand on his mouth. He suddenly jerked upward, intent on fighting Orochimaru, but their position left him at a disadvantage, as Orochimaru quickly pressed down harder so his elbows trapped Naruto's arms against his body.

Naruto glared so hatefully at him that his eyes seemed to have taken on a reddish tint. Yet be obeyed silently and remained still, knowing that if he moved to much, Sasuke would be paying for it with his life.

Orochimaru's lips curled as he continued to speak. "But at the same time, life is such a fragile thing. Think about it, just one swipe of this blade against that beautiful pale throat, and this boy's bright future will be lost to the shadows of death. People will cry for him, they will remember how talented, loved and adored he was, his memory will be cherished for years to come. However," he lifted the knife and ran it along his abnormally long tongue, this time placing it against Naruto's neck.

"If it were _your _throat that was to be cut, it would be a different story altogether. Less than a handful would cry for you, and those that do will eventually let your memory fade away into oblivion. Even those you gave a good fuck to, they won't even remember the hue of your eyes. But even though one would be remembered and one would be forgotten, you'd both die just the same. And that's the beauty of it."

Naruto's anger had not let up, but tears collected at the corner of his eyes. He allowed himself to believe that every word to reach his ears rang with sincerity... He knew it was true, but it hurt to be told.

Orochimaru chuckled and pressed the blade against the tan throat, not enough to kill, just hard enough to draw blood, and Naruto continued to cry silently as he felt a drop of the liquid slide down his neck.

The man dropped his head and licked the trail of blood, savoring the metallic bitterness as he dragged the wet muscle up to the other's ear. "It was nice to see you again, Naruto. I do hope you're careful about how your presence affects Sasuke. As for myself, I have more interest in the older Uchiha. We've reached an agreement of sorts for when he inherits the company. Hopefully, by himself. Sasuke should awaken soon, by the way." He got off the bed and strode to the door, leaving Naruto to lie still as the dead. The only sign of life: the slow rising and falling of his chest.

"Oh, and Naruto-kun, it would be wise to keep this little meeting of ours a secret, or I'm afraid your innocent new friend will be the one to pay the price." He left with a horribly satisfied smile across his ghost like face.

Naruto's head was spinning, hardly being able to grasp what had just happened.

_'**As for myself, I have more interest in the older Uchiha...'**_

Why was Orochimaru making deals with Sasuke's brother...? He groaned and wiped furiously at the tears on his face, hating himself for being so weak in front of that sick monster.

_Should I tell Sasuke?...No... I shouldn't... Would he want to know? But Orochimaru threatened to...agh! _

It was all so fucking _frustrating_!

Naruto sniffed and looked at Sasuke, flicking his eyes all over the other's features. He flinched when Sasuke shifted and moaned quietly, eyes fluttering behind closed lids. The sight made Naruto's heart swell. '_This is all **your **fault...I've let myself...no...' _He looked at the ceiling, "...You stupid bastard."

"Well good morning to you too."

Naruto started violently at the sound of Sasuke's groggy voice, making that searing pain rush back full force through his head, his hands clamped over his skull with a loud groan.

Sasuke smiled and propped his head up on an elbow, resting his cheek on a fist. "Hangover?"

"Shut up..."

Sasuke laughed and lifted a finger, running it down Naruto's cheek and brushing his thumb across pink lips, his eyes falling half-lidded. "What did I do to make you upset now? I can't be that much of a bastard when I'm sleeping, can I?"

Naruto felt heat pool in his face. Why was Sasuke touching him like that? He wrenched his head to the side, lips tingling from the contact of Sasuke's skin. "B-be quiet you ass."

"Hey..." Oblivion eyes narrowed and Sasuke grabbed the boy's chin in his fingers, tilting it upwards. "Naruto, what happened to your neck?"

Naruto gasped._ The cut! _He clasped a hand over the still wet wound. "N-nothing, don't worry about it."

"You're bleeding."

"I'm aware of that!"

Sasuke frowned. He placed an arm on the other side of the tan body and bent it so his weight rested on his forearms, making their chests parallel and their faces inches apart. "What happened?" He whispered.

Naruto's jaw went slack, he could feel the heat radiating off the other's body, the warmth and concern over his face. Sasuke was too close, and that was meant in more ways than one. "It's...it's nothing."

"You're a terrible liar."

"I – I just cut myself."

"On your bed?"

"Sasuke, drop it, it's nothing, I'm _fine_."

"Could've fooled me."

"I...I just have a headache, you know, the hangover, I need some aspirin or something." Well...it was true.

Sasuke contemplated it for a moment before allowing Naruto to get off the bed, watching as the he walked to the kitchen and opened a cabinet, pulling out a glass and a box of pills.

The silence was thick and uncomfortable as Naruto filled the cup with water and shook out two caplets; he glanced at Sasuke. "Sooo...why are you on my bed?"

Sasuke tilted his head and smiled, messy bangs falling sideways over his face. "Well, to be frank, you forced me to lay down with you, saying you didn't want to be alone."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He swallowed the medicine, slamming the glass down and wiping an arm across his mouth. "Did I?"

"Yeah."

"Hm... What else did I do? Kiba's told me I'm pretty damn funny when I'm drunk."

It was strange, how he could act so normal after what had happened earlier with Orochimaru. But then again, he preferred to forget it had happened at all, and he decided he wasn't going to risk endangering Sasuke's life by telling him about the meet. So he would do his best to ignore the memory, even though it fizzled around the edges of his mind like a burning afterthought.

"Yes, you were very entertaining actually. Tiring, but entertaining. First, you tried coaxing me into drinking. Then, you proclaimed that I was your property and wrote this on my hand." He lifted his hand and showed it to Naruto.

Naruto squinted and raised a brow. "Nrto?"

"The abbreviation... Or as you so profoundly named it, the 'abbremaliation'."

"Uh...yeah, I do tend to get...creative." The younger boy laughed.

"Oh it gets better. After announcing that you 'owned' me, you wanted me to dance with you."

Naruto frowned and opened up another cabinet, pulling out a box of bandages. "Did we dance?"

"Please, I wasn't going to handle your wasted ass on a dance floor, but you really didn't seem to care."

Naruto ripped the paper off the band-aid and looked up. "What do you mean?"

"After I refused to dance with you, you got pissed and stood on the bar counter, then began stripping for the world to see."

"No way! I stripped in public?"

"Oh yes, you got to pulling down your zipper before I got you out of there and took you to the car... Do you want help with that?" Sasuke sat up on the bed, swinging his legs over the edge so his feet touched the cool floor.

Naruto shook his head. "No, I got it, keep going. Is there anything I should be horribly ashamed or embarrassed about?"

"Hn, the car ride was very...interesting. You asked me if I was angry, and then decided it would be wise to lie down on my lap while I was driving. Which by the way wasn't very wise at all, I almost crashed twice."

Naruto snorted and tilted his head; he wet his fingers under the faucet and ran them along his neck until he felt the sting of the cut. He flinched and quickly placed the bandage over the wound, then looked back at Sasuke, who was watching him intently. He blushed. "I'm still listening."

Sasuke continued to stare for a few seconds before opening his mouth, he wanted Naruto's full attention for this next part. "I think you started babbling, saying something about me making you break a promise you made to yourself." Sasuke jumped when the sound of shattering glass reached his ears, and looked at Naruto's pale face.

He stood but Naruto raised a hand. "No no, it's okay, it slipped, I got it."

Like he was buying that crap. "What's wrong with you Naruto?"

Naruto crouched down to pick up the shards of broken glass, avoiding Sasuke's eyes. "Nothing, Sasuke, really, keep talking." Naruto had actually said that? He was _that _drunk? _'Fuck, way to go Uzumaki.'_ Hopefully Sasuke would forget that little slip up.

Sasuke frowned and sat down slowly. Something was obviously wrong with Naruto, but if the blond didn't want to talk about, then Sasuke couldn't force him to. He'd have to wait.

"When we got here, I took you out of the car and led you to the apartment, but halfway there, you jumped to the ground and threw up." He heard Naruto laugh and the fragments clink in the garbage. He smiled. "I really didn't know what to do with you, so I picked you up, brought you inside and dropped you on the bed." He purposely left out the part with his erection from Naruto's behavior; there was no way he was crushing his dignity by revealing that.

He lifted his eyes to find Naruto walking towards him, the earlier shock erased from his features.

Naruto grinned and sat beside him on the bed. "Is that all?"

Sasuke chuckled. "Hardly, I stripped us down to our boxers and you ran a finger up my chest and told me I was very 'purty'."

Naruto turned red enough to make a tomato jealous. "I did?"

"Yeah... You also felt the need to share your knowledge about farm animals with me."

The boy groaned and stuck his face in his hands.

"You assuredly told me that the cow goes moo, but I think you were a bit confused, because then you said that the horse meows. When I tried to correct you, you accused me of lying. I figured that I wasn't going to accomplish anything by talking to you, so I laid down on the futon." Sasuke paused to chuckle before continuing.

"Not two seconds later, you yelled for me, asking where I was like a scared little kid. I got up and you hugged me, saying you thought I left. I pointed to the floor and told you I was right here, and then you said you didn't _want _me on the floor, that you wanted me in bed, with you. That's when you took the liberty of pulling me down yourself, and that's how I woke up on your bed."

Naruto stayed quiet for a few moments with a light blush, before the corner of his lip twitched up into a half smile. "I'm sorry I was so much trouble."

Sasuke smiled and leaned back on his hands, "Well, you weren't boring, I'll give you that much." he glanced at Naruto to see his shoulders shaking in a fit of chuckles, and felt smiles bubble up in his own throat.

The room was suddenly filled with a loud outburst of laughter from both boys. Laughing stupidly and without reason to the point where sides were gripped and tears were shed.

It quieted down, leaving them in a heavy, awkward silence that pressed in on them.

Sasuke couldn't even remember the last time he had laughed like that, let alone for no reason. He looked at the boy, who was staring at nothing in particular in front of him. "...Naruto."

Blue eyes flicked up to regard him silently.

"You...all those things you said to me last night...did you mean them?"

Naruto dropped his eyes, suddenly finding the floor to be something quite interesting to look at. "...I was drunk." he murmured back.

"People do tend to be more sincere in that state sometimes."

Naruto glanced to the side, moving his head so his bangs shadowed his face. "Well sometimes they just say stupid stuff that doesn't mean anything."

Those words sent a numbing pain a flow through Sasuke's veins, and his mouth pulled at the corners in a deep frown. "Oh...I see." Honestly, what was he expecting? He'd allowed Naruto's drunken stupidity to cloud his senses and trick him into thinking that the blond might have emotions similar to his own simmering inside of him too... How stupid.

Naruto felt a tight pain choke at his heart. "...You're a friend Sasuke, a good one...but nothing more." Naruto rolled his tongue over his teeth awkwardly. He had never really liked lying. _'No...I haven't broken it...he's just a friend.'_ He let out a shaky breath, "Let's go to school."

Sasuke didn't even look at him. "Right." _'Friend...something more...it's just a step away.'_

****

x-X-0-X-x

Naruto sighed and blew a bang out of his face while sitting on a step of the stairwell. He tugged and fiddled with his shoelace and looked up at Sasuke. "It's weird that Kiba and Gaara aren't here yet, the bell's gonna ring soon."

Sasuke shrugged. "Yeah...they must've died." He smirked.

Naruto gasped and kicked him. "Sasuke you ass! Don't say things like that!" He paused when an annoying beeping sound caught his ears.

Sasuke raised a brow as he watched Naruto look around for the source of the noise, moving his head from side to side like a blind person with a "Where's Waldo?" book.

"What the hell is that?"

"You can't seriously be that stupid."

"What?"

"It's your phone, baka."

"My... oh yeah!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell that was vibrating with noise. He grinned sheepishly. "Forgot I had one."

"Hn."

Naruto flipped the phone open and pressed it to his ear. "Hello? ...Oh hey Kiba! Where are you? ...Huh? Why not? ...Oh, I'm sorry, is she okay? ...Uh-huh...no, just Sasuke...so he's not coming either? ...Yeah, I guess so..." His eyes suddenly bugged out, "_What_? You – you! Just shut the hell up! That's not true! There's school! ...Because I was DRUNK last night and he brought me home !...NO WE DID NOT!..." His mouth dropped open. "Fuck you dog face!" He hung up.

Sasuke blinked. "What happened?"

"NOTHING!" Naruto blurted out before blushing and taking a deep breath. "They're not coming. Kiba's sister is sick so he's taking care of her, and Kankuro needed help with the shop today so he asked Gaara to stay."

Sasuke shivered, Gaara with a tattoo needle was a frightening thought. "So wait a minute...it's just you and me?"

Naruto smiled. "Uh-huh."

The bell rang.

Naruto sniffed and stood up. "Well, see you in chem Sasuke." He turned to walk away but stopped when something tugged at his wrist, he looked back with a groan. "Nhn, what is it now?" He stared at the other boy, who was standing now, a smirk on his pretty face.

"We're not going to class today, Naruto."

"Huh? But we skipped yesterday."

"So?"

"I have a test today."

"And?" Sasuke didn't care if they _failed _for not coming to class today. There was no way he was going to waste an entire day alone with Naruto, he'd have to be downright stupid to pass up such an opportunity.

"Sasuke...are you sure? I mean, I don't have a problem with going today, and I know how much you hate missing school."

Sasuke shrugged and pulled Naruto closer. "So I'm being spontaneous today. What's wrong? You afraid of getting in trouble, oh wild one?"

Naruto's cheeks puffed out in irritation. "I am not afraid!"

"Great, so what's the problem?"

"Nothing asshole! I'm not afraid! We're going to Aeon!" He huffed in annoyance and yanked on the other's arm.

Sasuke smirked. Sometimes, it was just too easy.

****

x-X-0-X-x

"Why do you always insist on me buying you ice cream whenever we come here?"

"You don't like ice-cream?"

"No, it's not that, but...look, I don't know, can't you just get a cookie or something?" Didn't Naruto have any idea how..._erotic _he looked while eating ice cream?

Naruto pouted. "But I don't _want _cookies...I want ice cream."

Sasuke looked away from the pout. "Just...can you get something else? Something that's not...creamy?" He blushed lightly at the images _that _word produced.

"But why?"

Sasuke groaned. "Please?"

"Hmmm..." Naruto contemplated and glanced to the side. He spotted something and smiled. "Fine." He grabbed Sasuke's wrist and led him to an ice cream machine. "Give me a dollar."

"Dobe, I said no ice cream."

"Nooo, you said nothing _creamy_, popsicles aren't creamy Sasuke." He sing-songed.

Sasuke snorted and pulled out a dollar from his wallet. Naruto made a grab for it, but it was raised over Sasuke's head. The boy frowned and reached up for the bill, gripping the other's shoulder and pressing up against him. "Damn it teme! Give it to me!" Damn the fucking jerk for being two inches taller than him!

Sasuke smiled and leaned down to Naruto's face. Making sure to keep the dollar out of his reach, he breathed into his mouth. A stream of warm, sweet breath. "Nothing white either...okay?" He whispered softly.

Too bad Naruto was a bit too distracted to even notice Sasuke's seductive ways. He nodded with enthusiasm and Sasuke gave him the dollar. "Hahaha! Popsicle!" He turned around and shoved the bill in the machine, several times, before it stayed, and punched in the necessary code to get his precious treat.

Sasuke stared impassively as the cold pop fell out of its place and Naruto pulled it out from the bottom, clumsily unwrapping the paper.

_'Hn...popsicle, nothing bad about-'_ His eyes went wide. _'...Shit...'_ Sasuke groaned and closed his eyes, tangling one hand through his hair.

Naruto gave him a confused look and pulled his treat extremely, tantalizingly slow, out of his mouth with an innocent frown. "What's wrong with you?" He grinned, "It's cramps isn't it? Your time of the month?"

Sasuke ignored the insult; he was enraptured with watching the damn Popsicle sliding in and out of the boy's pouty pink lips, the slipping and slurping sounds that he swore the other was making on purpose. Then Naruto did something that almost made Sasuke's legs give up on the spot:

He slid the whole thing into his mouth. Every trace of the red cherry flavored Popsicle disappeared between those delectable lips.

And Sasuke lost it.

He quickly jerked the treat out of Naruto's sinful mouth and launched it halfway across the mall, vaguely hearing some woman scream about her new perm.

Naruto stared dumbfounded at his now empty hand, then looked up at Sasuke with an angry scowl. "What the hell man?! I was fucking _eating _that!"

"You can't eat ice cream in front of me anymore!"

"The hell is your problem? You fucking _threw _the damn thing!"

"Just shut up and let's go!"

"Oh fuck no! You better go buy me something else to eat!"

"What!" Sasuke hollered. "What do you want to eat that's _not _ice cream?"

"Hmmm...ramen!"

Sasuke thought for a moment. _'Ramen...noodles...slurping..._' "No, no ramen."

"Why not?!"

"Pick something else."

"Since when are you in charge of what get shoved down my esophagus?!"

"First of all, I'm surprised you even knew what that word was. Second, I'm surprised that you actually _used _it correctly, and third, if you don't pick something else, I'm not buying you anything!"

"Agh! Why are you so fucking difficult?!"

"Why are you so fucking oblivious?!"

"Why are we yelling?!"

"How should I know?!"

"Ah!" Naruto slapped a hand over Sasuke's mouth, which earned a light glare of disapproval from the boy. "Look, we'll eat later okay? Jesus, just...just calm down, alright?"

Sasuke muffled something before shoving him off. "I'm not the only one who needs to calm down here!"

"Okay! Okay!" Naruto sighed and placed his hands on his hips, smiling lopsided at Sasuke. "See? Calm."

Sasuke was panting, but just barely, trying very hard to calm himself down. Getting into a heated quarrel with Naruto had sent his hormones into overdrive. He was this close to tackling the boy to the floor and ravishing him senseless, and he didn't think he would have cared who saw. He placed a hand over his heart in a vain attempt to quell the pounding muscle. "Alright...okay, I'm fine."

"Good, now please, calmly explain to me why the hell you threw my – hey look!"

It was at times like this that Sasuke had to thank God for Naruto's short attention span, because he had no clue how to answer that question that nearly spilled out of the blond's mouth, '_Yeah, sorry about throwing your popsicle Naruto, you see, it's phallic imagery was giving me extremely impure thoughts that included you being fucked on the glass window display of the nearest store.' _

He didn't think so.

Now Naruto was inside some sunglasses store, checking himself out in front of a mirror with a pair of shades on. Sasuke made sure his heart was calm, face impassive, and that nothing was...'sticking out' before he entered the store with him.

"Hey hey! Sasuke! I look good in these huh?"

"Hn" Sasuke reached out and pulled the shades off, replacing them on his face instead with a smirk. "But I think I look better."

Naruto frowned. "Nu-uh! Go find your own!"

Sasuke smiled and wrapped an arm around Naruto's shoulder, bringing their faces mere centimeters apart. "You don't think I look good in these?"

Naruto blushed. Okay, so Sasuke looked good, so what? The bastard looked good in just about anything anyway!

Sasuke snorted and pulled the shades off, handing them back to Naruto. "Do you want them?"

"Uh...well, yeah, I guess so."

"Alright, c'mon." Sasuke turned to walk to the cash register, when he heard the other boy laughing softly, he turned back. "Something funny? Do you want them or not?"

"Oh, I want them all right."

"So what's the hold up?"

"You're not paying for them."

"...And I suppose you plan on paying?"

"Nope."

"So you're not getting them?"

"Yes I am."

Sasuke thought for a second, untangling the blonde's yarn of words. He frowned. "You're stealing it?"

"Nope."

"Oh..."

"_You _are."

"...Come again?"

"Oh yeah baby," Naruto teased as he pointed a finger at Sasuke, "_you're_ gonna take 'em."

Sasuke flushed at what Naruto had called him and frowned. "What makes you think I'm going to steal?"

"C'mon Sasuke! You've never stolen something before?"

"No, and I'm not about to start. Why am I going to steal something when I have more than enough money to pay for it? That's stupid, I could get arrested."

"Not for petty things, they just give you a slap on the wrist and send you on your merry way."

"I'm assuming this is from experience?"

Naruto grinned and pushed the shades into a pale hand, leaning up to Sasuke and gazing at him in a seductive manner. "C'mon now...if you really want them for me, you'll take them. Do it and it'll prove that you've really pulled that stick out, once and for all."

Sasuke felt his pulse speed up a bit. He'd do it if it made Naruto think more of him (though he had no idea how that worked out. Think more of a person for stealing?) but he was still unsure, he'd never stolen anything before, never needed to. "I don't know..."

"Money won't be there forever Sasuke. What would happen if one day, all your money disappeared? What about then?"

"Hn..."

Naruto smirked. "Plus, it's exciting, it'll give you a rush." He took the shades and slipped them into the other's pocket. "Try it."

Sasuke glanced at him uncertainly before looking at the exit, then back at Naruto. "If we get caught, you're taking the heat dobe."

Naruto smiled. "C'mon." He walked step by step with the Uchiha.

Sasuke felt his heart thrum with each stomp of his foot, increasing slowly as they reached the exit. It wasn't as if they were taking anything _valuable_, it was just a pair of shades (which made it all the more stupid). But it was still _stealing_, still something you could get on trouble for.

The moment they walked through the detectors was like slow motion, agonizingly slow, until a loud, repetitive beeping resounded through the store. Sasuke nearly spun around and shouted "It was an accident!" but didn't get the chance as he found himself being pulled by the wrist by a certain blond with an insane smile on his face. He took a chance and looked back, met with the sight of two mall cops hot on their trail. "Shit! Naruto we need to get out of here!"

"You think we're just running for the hell of it? The best part is losing them!" Naruto yelled as he shoved past shoppers with bulging bags and rounded a corner.

He abruptly stopped.

Sasuke gaped at him. "Why did we stop?!"

"Shh! Shut up!"

Naruto seemed to be looking around for something, and smiled when he found it. He dragged Sasuke to a small niche in the wall, squeezing in and putting a finger to his lips, silently telling him to keep quiet.

It was a very small space; Sasuke was actually a bit surprised that they fit. They were parallel to one another, pressed hard against each other, body heat mingling; they were practically taking air from each other's mouths.

Oh this was not good.

He felt Naruto press harder against him as the cops came into view, looking around with confused faces for the two boys.

The blond's hair was skimming over Sasuke's lips, and he couldn't stop himself, he grabbed the other's bronzed hip with one hand and pulled him as close as physically possible. God, it felt _good_. Then Naruto buried his face in his neck, tan hands gripping his shoulders. Sasuke didn't know if the other was returning his come on's or simply trying to make their hiding more effective, but either way, it didn't stop the blood from rushing straight to Sasuke's groin and pooling down there in a tight heap of sensation.

Naruto's eyes widened as he felt something hard dig into his pelvis, but he dismissed the thought when he felt a hot wind tickle his ear. "Naruto...how long...do we have to stay like this?"

Naruto looked up at the dark boy, whose eyes were hazy with some kind of emotion he couldn't really decipher right now. He pressed a palm over Sasuke's mouth. "Shhhh." Naruto labeled the hard thing down there (which for some reason was getting harder) as the shades in Sasuke's pocket.

Sasuke nodded at Naruto's command and shut his eyes, basking in the heated moment he knew would end all too soon for his liking. He groaned into the hand and placed his own palm on the small of the Naruto's back, pushing and pressing at it and increasing the already too close contact.

Naruto's thoughts were beginning to become cloudy as he watched the officers. He was very aware of Sasuke's hands and his own body, of Sasuke's warm breaths against his fingers, but decided not to give it much thought and let it flow. It would be over soon.

His prediction was affirmed when he saw the cops leave, and feeling that they were far enough, he detached himself from Sasuke and backed into the wall behind him as much as possible, suddenly feeling unbearably cold. He sighed and looked down the length of the other's body, finding a very surprising...surprise down south. "You're _hard_?!"

Sasuke smirked and placed two hands on either side of Naruto's head. "Like you said, it was a rush."

Naruto blushed as Sasuke's face came closer, filling up his view. "How are you going...to get rid of it?"

Sasuke tilted his head so his bangs fell sideways and brushed Naruto's face. "I could think of _many _ways to 'get rid of it'."

Naruto let out a shuddering breath, feeling an explosion of heat within himself that he found difficult to fight down. He placed a palm against Sasuke's chest and gave him a pleading, sorrowful look.

Sasuke got the quiet plea and frowned, backing up into his own wall with a small smile. "Just give me a minute it'll go away."

Naruto gave him a thankful nod and grinned. "Well, hurry." Naruto cocked his head, his fingers splaying out on his friend's chest.

"I wanna take you somewhere."


	10. Revelations

**_bold italics - memories/flashbacks_**

_regular italics - thoughts_

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**"The flames that leave a burn on the soul are not those of fire, but of passion."**

-darkalbino

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****

xxxChapter 9: Revelationsxxx

Sasuke hadn't the slightest clue as to where Naruto was taking them. All he knew – and it was making him rather uncomfortable – was that they were driving farther and farther away from the city.

He had been a bit iffy about letting Naruto drive his car, but then Naruto pulled out those damn eyes and that irresistible pout that made him that made him feel as though he'd done some horrible wrong against humanity, and what else could Sasuke do but give in?

"I would appreciate it if I had a hint as to where in the hell we're going, Naruto."

"It's a surprise, teme. But I'm willing to bet it's someplace you _never _go."

Sasuke gave a light scowl. _'Well obviously, if it's out of the city.' _

Naruto caught his look and chuckled. "Don't worry; I wouldn't be taking you if I wasn't sure you'd like it."

Sasuke nodded and looked out the window into the clear blue sky, but quickly looked away when it pulled up the image of Naruto's eyes on his sun kissed face. He glanced at the driver, whose attention was being held by the road, one hand on the wheel, and one on his lap. Without a second thought, Sasuke reached over and laced his pale fingers with slim tan ones, taking in Naruto's shocked features before pulling their entwined digits to his lap and looking back out the window.

Naruto frowned and gripped the steering wheel harshly. "...Sasuke-"

"Don't...please, just let me," he murmured.

Naruto felt warmth seep up through him from the contact, and once again felt himself torn. He thought for a moment before deciding to let it go this time. He gave Sasuke's hand a gentle squeeze and a small smile before turning his attentions back to the speeding pavement.  
****

x-X-0-X-x

About an hour later, Naruto parked the car on the side of the road and got out, Sasuke following him and watching with an amused smile as the blond clumsily took off his shoes and socks, rolling his jeans up to his knees. He took off his own shoes and glanced to his side. "The beach huh?"

Naruto nodded excitedly. "Yeah! I love it here! It's been a while since I came and I figured since we didn't have anything better to do, why not come today?"

"Hm."

Naruto frowned and came into his view. "What's the matter?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing...it's just been a while for me too, that's all."

Naruto smiled and hopped onto the sand, digging his toes into the grainy warmth before running out onto the wet part of the shore.

Sasuke followed him and remembered the shades in his pocket. He pulled them out and handed them to the other boy, who was watching the water wash the sand off his feet with a calm expression. He raised his eyes and smiled at the shades, taking them out of the pale hand and flipping them in his own before suddenly reaching back his arm and chucking them into the ocean with a huge grin.

Sasuke's jaw dropped. "The hell Naruto!"

Naruto turned back to him with closed eyes and a bright smile. "Changed my mind, I don't want them after all."

"You _idiot_!"

"I just wanted to see if you'd really take them."

"I _stole _those for you!"

"And wasn't it fun? I mean damn, you got a boner from it," he said playfully.

"Agh! You fucking..." Sasuke looked down and smirked. "You dobe." He abruptly kicked his foot upward and splashed water all over Naruto's clothes, soaking him.

"H – hey!" Naruto raked his eyes over his drenched self and scowled at Sasuke, kicking up his own foot to wet the boy back.

Sasuke sputtered and frowned before crouching down and gripping a fistful of wet sand, grinning at Naruto, the threat clear.

Blue eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare." He yelped when the cluster of grains struck him square in the chest. "You – you son of a bitch!" Naruto tackled Sasuke to the ground in a fit of fury and straddled him, grabbing his own fistful of wet grains and then proceeding to smother it all in Sasuke's hair.

"Ha! Not so pretty _now_, are you teme?!"

Sasuke abruptly sat up and fisted Naruto's shirt, yanking him close and touching their noses. "I don't know dobe...am I?"

"Ah..." Naruto flushed, and Sasuke felt muscles tense above him. He smiled and let go of the boy, then pulled at one of his blond bangs."Get up, baka."

Naruto remained still for a moment before nodding and standing up. He pulled off his wet shirt and watched as Sasuke scooped up a handful of water and washed the grime out of his hair, then stood up as well.

They walked together to the drier portion of the empty beach and sat down opposite of one another, Sasuke's back to the ocean and Naruto facing it.

It was quiet for a while, both basking in the sounds of the crashing waters and rippling winds.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke before scooping up a handful of sand and watching it slowly cascade through his fingers. "...Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes as the last bits of grain slipped through. "Why do you hate your brother so much? It can't just be that he's a manipulative bastard, is it?"

Sasuke flinched, caught off guard by the question. He relaxed and stretched his legs out in front of him, leaning back on his hands. "Naruto...you're the only person I've ever allowed to be so close with me. I've spoken and done things with you that I know I wouldn't be able to do with anyone else. And I want you to know that by talking about my family, Itachi in particular...it means that I trust you completely." He locked gazes with the other boy and smiled. "I actually trust you more than anything else in my life, you're very important to me."

Naruto flushed red and cast his eyes down, nodding for him to continue.

Sasuke chuckled and sat up, pulling off his wet shirt as Naruto had done earlier and dropping it next to him before lying back down on his side and propping his head up on his elbow. Staring directly at Naruto, he took a breath and opened his mouth. "Itachi used to abuse me."

Naruto jerked with shock. "He hit you?"

Sasuke looked down and combed his fingers through the sand. "...Sexually."

Naruto's lips parted, astonished. "Holy shit...Sasuke..."

Sasuke shrugged. "It was a long time ago; he took advantage of me when I was younger."

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

**_Nine-year-old Sasuke ran up the stairs of his house and stopped in front of his brother's room. He opened the door quietly and tiptoed in, seeing Itachi reading on the bed, unaware of his presence._**

**_A grin spread out on his tiny face, and he stealthily toddled his way to the bed, crouching down low so he could surprise his brother._**

**_Just as he was about to pounce, Itachi spoke: "Having fun are we?" He asked in a monotone voice, book still poised in front of his face._**

**_Sasuke stumbled and gave a smile. "You always catch me, but I'll get you one day aniki!" He laughed and climbed onto the bed, straddling his brother's stomach._**

**_Itachi deprived his features of any emotion and slowly put the book down, flinching when Sasuke suddenly jumped and pounded his small fists on his chest. "Oi Oi! Aniki guess what! Father said that when I'm older, I'm going to inha...inir..." He pouted._**

**_"...Inherit?"_**

**_The boy's eyes glowed. "Yeah! That! I'm going to do that with you to the company! He told me today! Isn't it great?"_**

**_"Hn, I suppose."_**

**_Sasuke frowned and leaned in just a bit, concern evident in his small frame. "Aniki? What's the matter?"_**

**_"My day wasn't entirely pleasing," Itachi grumbled._**

**_"Ah, Aniki had a bad day? Is there something I can do to help make it better?"_**

**_Itachi rolled his eyes before stilling and allowing a smirk to stretch his face. He sat up and looked down at his innocent little brother. "Actually, there is something you can do to help."_**

**_Sasuke brightened up immensely at a chance to help his brother. "How?"_**

**_The older boy sniggered and slipped his hands under the other's shirt, causing dark eyes to widen. "Just be quiet and relax." He pushed the boy down onto the bed and slipped it off, running his hands along the smooth, soft skin, until he reached the hem of the jeans that hugged slim, pale hips._**

**_Sasuke blushed and gave his brother a confused look. "A-aniki? Wh...What are you doing?"_**

**_Itachi yanked down the jeans, along with the boxers, then pulled down his own pants. "Relieving myself."_**

**_"R-relieving?" Sasuke's flush deepened as he saw his brother's half hard erection spring out._**

**_"Just be quiet." The open door caught his attention. He stood up with a frown and closed it, locked it, before going back and sitting on the bed, then ordering his younger brother to sit on the floor in front of him._**

**_Sasuke, already as confused as he was, didn't question the command. He got up on shaky legs and kneeled in front of Itachi, his arousal staring him in the face._**

**_The older Uchiha moaned, dick twitching with pure sadistic excitement. "Put it in your mouth."_**

**_Sasuke's eyes widened. "W-what?"_**

**_"Do it," he snarled._**

**_The small boy flinched and glanced at the door. "A-Aniki...are you sure we're allowed to be doing this?"_**

**_Itachi growled with impatience, then put up a strained smile. "You want to help me, don't you otouto?"_**

**_Sasuke's head snapped up in a quick nod. "Yes!" Of course he wanted to help Itachi. "...This will really help you?"_**

**_"Very much so, now put it in your mouth."_**

**_Sasuke frowned and stared at the erection, then gulped and licked his lips. "O...okay...I want to help you."_**

**_Itachi smirked. "Good."_**

**_Sasuke, unsure of what to do, wound a tiny hand around the member and slowly wrapped his thin, quivering lips around the head. Itachi shuddered above him. "More."_**

**_'More?' Sasuke exhaled through his nose and took a bit more into his mouth._**

**_Itachi grunted and fisted the boy's hair, pushing the small head down until Sasuke coughed from having the back of his throat brushed. He snorted at the fact that his penis wouldn't completely fit in the moist cavern of his otouto's mouth._**

**_Sasuke's eyes teared; the taste of bile rose up in his throat as his tongue reflexively pressed against the bottom side of Itachi's manhood._**

**_He'd never felt so awkward. He didn't like this at all; it felt like he was going to choke._**

**_Innocent black eyes looked up and were met with the sight of Itachi with his head tilted back and eyes screwed shut, mouth parted slightly._**

**_He frowned around the member when his brother's voice reached his ears: "Suck."_**

**_Sasuke breathed heavily, the urge to pull away building high. 'But it will make aniki feel better...' Sasuke loved his brother; he'd do anything for Itachi, because he was important to him._**

**_After a moment of hesitation due to fear, Sasuke gave a small suck and flinched when Itachi let out a soft whine. He repeated the action, and again received another whine. The fingers in his hair tightened and began forcing his head to bob up and down, Itachi's now hoarse voice croaking out for him to continue sucking._**

**_Sasuke did as he was told while trying not to choke or flinch back whenever his throat was hit._**

**_He wasn't enjoying this, not in the least. But if it helped his brother...then he didn't mind. He loved his aniki, with all his heart, and would do anything to make him happy._**

**_After all, isn't that what brothers are supposed to do for each other?_**

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_  
**  
"That was the first time he did it, but it wasn't the last. I'd say it was about a year before I realized exactly what he was doing to me. And when I got older, near my eleventh birthday, I told him it was enough."

Naruto's eyes were wide. He'd never expected perfect little Sasuke to have gone through such a horrible thing. "Sasuke...I... God, why didn't you _tell _anyone?"

Sasuke gave a dry laugh. "I did try; he kept coming after I told him to stop. So I told my father, but then Itachi just manipulated the situation and made him believe that I was making up a bunch of bullshit stories just to get attention, because I was jealous of him."

"You should've gone to the police!"

"I thought about it, but he would just pull off the same stunt. Itachi's word is always chosen over mine."

Naruto bit his lip and raked his fingers through his hair, glancing sideways at the other boy. "...Is that the real reason you want to go away to college?"

Sasuke frowned. "After what he did to me, and after my parents took his side over mine, even though I was the one telling the truth, I didn't want much to do with my family anymore. I didn't want the company, so my father became pressed on that and now won't leave me alone about it. I still don't want it; I want to go and become something that I know will help people and make a bit of a difference in their lives for the better, you know? So I guess, in a way, Itachi was the cause of all that, and in me wanting to leave, yes."

"Fuck, Sasuke...I'm really sorry, I had no idea you went through something like that."

Sasuke shook his head. "It's okay. Like I said, it was a long time ago. And I'm more than capable of holding my own against Itachi now. But I prefer to stay away from him, because sometimes he still knows how to control me with my emotions, like how he did with the drug. Only that time he used the feelings I have for you instead of the ones I had for him, which don't exist anymore." Or perhaps...they had just been redirected.

Naruto frowned and gave a forlorn look to the sand...Sasuke had just shared something extremely personal with him, and he felt bad for probing in the first place. "...Ask me something," he offered.

Sasuke stared at him. "What?"

Naruto nodded once, then two more times. "Ask me something you want to know about me, it's only fair."

"You don't have-"

"I want to." Naruto assured.

Sasuke blinked before sitting up slowly and flicking his eyes over azure ones. "I know it's a delicate subject, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I do want to know...what are the marks on your face?"

Naruto flinched and brought a hand up to his cheek, as if he had forgotten the lines were even there. His eyes narrowed.

"Naruto, you don't have to."

"No, it's okay, you shared something hard, I don't mind telling you... Besides, I can't let myself be outdone by prickly temes." He laughed, but there was no joy in the sound.

And Sasuke caught that, "But it's hard for you."

Naruto smiled and drew his knees up to his chest, resting his arms over them and placing his head in the crook of his elbow, staring at his friend. "Much as it kills me to admit, and as much as I don't want to...I trust you too, Sasuke."

Sasuke felt his heart jump and he gave a slight nod.

Naruto sighed. _'Guess there's no avoiding it now.'_ He made sure Sasuke was looking at him before he spoke. "...I made them."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "You inflicted them on yourself?"

Naruto nodded. "With the pocket knife Kiba has, I gave it to him after I did it."

"Why did you do that to yourself?"

Naruto bit his lip. "I...I lost three people...who were very important to me...three are for them."

"Who were they?"

"My mother, my father, and my best friend."

"They all died?"

"...Yeah."

"What happened?"

Naruto cast his eyes down and let out a shaky breath. "...My father killed my mother."

Sasuke blanched.

"He used to abuse her, and she never tried to stop him. She just took it, but one day I guess he just…lost it and…took it to the point where… it ended up killing her." He blew a bang out of his face with a frown. "I'm not sure if something was wrong with him or if he just snapped, but either way, he killed her."

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

**_Seven-year-old Naruto let out a small whimper and screwed his eyes shut as tears leaked out of their corners. Another scream erupted from outside his door, causing his hands to fly up and clamp over his ears, a reaction normal from hearing the cries of you own mother._**

**_'Father is hurting her again' he thought helplessly. He jumped as something smashed and broke against his closed door, then flipped on his bed and pressed his face into the mattress, allowing his tears to seep out. A hard slap reached his ears and he heard a body thump to the floor, then…silence. An unnerving silence draped itself over the house and his body quivered in fearful anticipation._**

**_He wanted to go out, see if his mother was alright but the silence was frightening and his legs were numb with fear. A tiny sob broke past his lips before he relaxed best he could and closed his eyes, forcing himself into an unpleasant sleep with menacing red shadows._**

**_When morning came, Naruto woke up and did his daily routine to get ready for school. He got dressed and quietly left his room, picking up his bag by the door and proceeding to walk over to his parent's room._**

**_The young blond pushed open the slightly ajar door, poking his head in to find his mother lying down on the bed with the covers pulled up right beneath her chin. His father was sitting next to her, stroking her hair with unfocused eyes. Naruto tilted his head at his father's face, so very similar to his own. It was slightly red and his eyes were puffy, eyelids swollen._**

**_He'd been crying._**

**_Naruto slowly walked up to him and placed his small hand over the larger one, causing the man to flinch and snap his head at the boy._**

**_Naruto gave a small, uncertain smile. "Morning Daddy," he murmured, then looked to his mother, "why is Mommy still sleeping?"_**

**_His father's frown deepened before he smiled slightly at his son._**

**_"Naruto, your bus will be here soon, shouldn't you be going? You don't want to miss school now do you?"_**

**_"Oh!" Naruto grinned, "Yeah, you're right." He picked up his father's hand and kissed it sweetly, "Bye." He then looked at his mother and leaned down to her cheek, kissing it as well. But the second his lips made contact with the skin, he jumped back and frowned, glancing at his father curiously._**

**_"Why is she so cold? What's wrong with her?"_**

**_The man's smile fell away and cupped his wife's pale cheek._**

**_"She…doesn't feel well."_**

**_"Oh…" Naruto sighed and nodded. "Okay… well she'll get better right?_**

**_"Of course Naruto..."_**

**_The boy brightened up. "Okay then! I gotta go! Bye!"_**

**_He gave each his parents another quick kiss before leaving the house, completely unaware that this would be the last time he saw them._**

**_When his bus dropped him off from school later that day, Naruto found himself surrounded by police cars with spinning red and blue flashes of lights parked on the expanse of his yard, and ominous yellow tape wrapped around his house._**

**_He felt his heart pick up speed as an officer approached him._**

**_"This area is closed off son; I'm going to have to ask you to leave."_**

**_"Where's mom and dad?" He blurted out._**

**_The man blinked "What?"_**

**_Tears stung his eyes. "Mom and dad! Where are they?!"_**

**_The officer's eyes widened and he pulled out a notepad, flipping it and reading before looking back at the boy._**

**_"Are you Naruto? Uzumaki Naruto?"_**

**_Naruto flinched. "Y – yeah."_**

**_The officer's face saddened visibly. He kneeled down in front of the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto…about your parents,"_**

**_The tears began streaming out. "Where are they?"_**

**_The man took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, squeezing the younger's shoulder gently. "I…you're parents are dead kid, I'm sorry."_**

**_Wet blue eyes widened. "Wh...what?"_**

**_The cop sighed and pulled the boy into a hug, "I'm sorry..."_**

**_Naruto couldn't breathe, his heart was hammering in his chest. His lungs felt like they were on fire. "What do you mean? You're lying! They're not…they're not… I saw them this morning! You're lying to me!"_**

**_"I need you to come with me."_**

**_"No! Where are mom and dad?! Tell me!"_**

**_The man frowned deeply and picked the boy up, allowing him to sob into his shoulder. He walked over to another cop and sat the child on the hood of one of the cars, and then turned to the man, who raised a brow at the boy. "Who's this?"_**

**_"The son."_**

**_A surprised look crossed his face before it went solemn. "I see…Well Tsunade should be here soon, she'll tell us what to do with him." The other officer nodded before nearly jumping out of his pants and yelling a 'Christ!' at the sound of tires screeching against pavement._**

**_"Speak of the devil." the other laughed._**

**_Another cop car swerved around the corner and skidded to a stop. A young blonde woman with hazel brown eyes and a busty figure stepped out of the vehicle, spotting one of the officers next to Naruto and walking over to him. She eyed the boy for a moment before turning her attention to the man. "And what in the hell, if I may ask, is a CHILD doing at the scene of a crime?"_**

**_"He's the son of the victims, Chief, got back a while ago from school I'm assuming."_**

**_The woman's lips pulled down to a frown and her eyebrows bunched together. "Why didn't anyone pick him up earlier? You don't leave children at school during a situation like this!"_**

**_"There were no contacts ma'am; we only know he's their son because of photographs and evidence in their home."_**

**_Tsunade placed a finger under her chin and made a pensive sound. "Hmm…do you know exactly what happened here?"_**

**_"Pretty good idea, everything matches the assumptions."_**

**_She nodded. "Tell me."_**

**_The officer glanced back at Naruto before gripping the woman's arm and leading her away. Naruto was still in shock, sitting on the front of the car with a blank look on his face. He only caught snippets of the conversation happening a few feet away._**

**_"Suspected abuse – bruises, cuts…blow to the head, killed her, so she was dead already when we got here. Over ten hours…felt guilty, we think…multiple stab wounds in his chest and stomach, knife was in his hand…suicide…around this morning, shortly after school would start…"_**

**_Naruto pieced together the information and began crying uncontrollably, remembering how cold his mother had been this morning and how his father was stroking her and crying._**

**_They'd left him all alone._**

**_Tsuande's head snapped up at a loud sob and she locked eyes with the child. Her heart sank at his tear stained face and broken sobs. She walked over to him and picked him up, pulling him into a tight hug. "Shhh…it'll be alright."_**

**_Naruto shook his head rapidly and felt slim fingers run through his hair, stroking it softly._**

**_He cried harder._**

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

Naruto snorted and rubbed the heel of his palm against his eye. "I don't… know exactly why my dad used to abuse mom. But I do know, despite the abuse, he loved her…he loved her a lot. Every time he hit her, he would cry, every damn time. I don't even think he knew why he did it himself. And the guilt of having her blood on his hands...that was what drove him to kill himself."

"Naruto…"

"After that, they put me in a foster home, but the people there didn't like me too much. Said I was the son of a crazy person and could turn out to be one myself. They barely fed me, just enough to stay alive and kept me in a closet, my room. After about three years, enough was enough and I ran away. They didn't care, didn't even report me and the cops, I guess they just didn't care either. I remember wishing that the blonde cop I had met, Tsuande, would adopt me but I never saw her again after that day." He bit his lip and looked down, drumming his fingers on his knees.

Sasuke tilted his head and tucked a lock of blond hair behind the other's ear. "Do you want to stop?"

Naruto shook his head. "No…"

"This is where the third line comes in?"

"…Yeah."

"Your best friend, right?"

Naruto nodded, his mouth twitching up into a half smile "…Kyuubi."

Sasuke blinked and scooted closer him, crossing his legs loosely and taking one of Naruto' hands off his knee, holding it between his own hands and placing them on his lap. "Tell me."

Naruto kept his gaze on their hands and sighed softly.

"I was ten, and there's not much a ten year old can do to fend for himself, so I was living on the streets. I stole food and sometimes people who felt sorry for me would give me money. I was still going to school though, and I started stealing clothes off hanging lines when kids made fun of me for wearing the same ones all the time. I didn't have any friends, I was alone all the time. It was fucking miserable." He paused and Sasuke felt his heart clench with pain at hearing how much the other had gone through.

Naruto smiled. "But then I met Kyuubi. I was at the park one day sitting on the swing. I always liked the swings, because you never needed anyone else to play on it. I always sat on a firm wooden on that was tied to a big tree with two ropes. I would just sit there and watch the other kids play until one day, this kid comes up to me and grabs the ropes. He was really good looking, long red hair pulled back in a high ponytail with a few strands hanging loose, _really _green eyes, he was like a prettier version of Gaara, I guess would be a good way to put it. Of course, I had stopped being social after my parents died, so I was a bit of an ass to him when he first spoke to me."

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

**_"Hey, what' cha doing?"_**

**_Naruto frowned and crumpled his eyebrows at the other boy. "What does it look like I'm doing?"_**

**_The boy smiled and leaned down to Naruto's face. "…You're really pretty."_**

**_Naruto sputtered and blushed. "Hey! You don't say that kind of stuff to other boys!"_**

**_The red head laughed. "I can say whatever I want, and I think you're pretty, it's a compliment."_**

**_"Hn..."_**

**_"I'm Kyuubi, what's your name?"_**

**_"…Naruto."_**

**_"Why are you here all by yourself, Naruto?"_**

**_"Why do you care?""_**

**_Kyuubi shrugged. "You look sad; wouldn't you be happier if you were over there?" He flicked his thumb over his shoulder and pointed to the playground._**

**_Naruto lowered his eyes slowly and tightened his grip on the ropes._**

**_Kyuubi frowned and placed his hands on his knees. "Hey, you don't have anyone to play with, do you?"_**

**_"I don't need anyone!" Naruto snapped._**

**_"Well that's not right, you gotta have friends…"_**

**_Naruto glanced at the boy with a mournful expression. "I don't...have anybody...my parents died, and I have no friends, so just go away."_**

**_Kyuubi closed his eyes and laughed softly. "Oh that's not true, I'm your friend."_**

**_Naruto snorted. "I don't even know you."_**

**_"Well we have a lot in common! My parents are gone too, I live with my aunt and her husband, and I know what you're going through, I've been there. Trust me; friends are a huge mood lifter."_**

**_Naruto continued frowning._**

**_Kyuubi tilted his head and tapped a finger on his chin, then smiled. "Okay, how about you come play with us?"_**

**_Naruto's head snapped up. "What?"_**

**_"Yeah." He pointed back to the playground, at another red head and a brunet boy. "That's Kiba and Gaara, he's not much fun, but Kiba will play, come with me."_**

**_"You… want me to play with you guys?" The little blond asked, hope brimming along the edges of his words._**

**_Kyuubi grinned and grabbed Naruto's hand, yanking him off the swing. "Sure! Why not? C'mon!"_**

**_And Naruto, for the first time in a long time, felt a true smile play on his lips as Kyuubi pulled him to the playground._**

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

"I was so happy that someone wanted to be friends with me. And from that day on, we were inseparable. We did everything together. He even got me an apartment; he aunt was pretty well off and he had connections. Kyuubi was everything to me. My first real friend, my first bond with someone other than my parents, even my first kiss. He was the brother I never had and even though he wasn't really…blood couldn't have made us closer."

Naruto licked his lips and breathed shakily before continuing and Sasuke knew things were going to turn here.

"I…thought it would be that way forever, five years together is a long time…but that's not how things turned out. When I turned fifteen, Kyuubi asked me to come home with him, live with him. But I said no, he had done too much for me already. He told me to think about it, so I said I would. We went out that night, snuck into a club, and that was the night everything changed."

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

**_The music was pounding and vibrated through his body. He reached behind him and grabbed his bottle, pouring the clear liquid down his throat until the glass was empty and he threw it to some random spot on the dance floor where it shattered into a thousand fragments._**

**_God, everything was swaying and…pulsing and… moving…was he drunk? No, Naruto? Drunk? Never. It was only…one bottle…or was it three? He couldn't seem to recall. He looked up and locked eyes with Kyuubi, who was walking up to him with…someone else._**

**_"Hey Naruto, how you holdin' up?"_**

**_Naruto raised a brow very slowly and pointed to the boy Kyuubi was with. "Who da fuck is that?"_**

**_The boy smiled and wrapped an arm around Kyuubi's waist, pulling him close._**

**_Naruto frowned as Kyuubi laughed and gestured to the other, "This is Kabuto."_**

**_"Who?"_**

**_"Kabuto, I met him a little while ago."_**

**_Kabuto flicked his white hair back and waved. "Hi."_**

**_Naruto scowled at him and grabbed Kyuubi's arm, yanking him down to his face. "Kyuubi…don't."_**

**_Kyuubi blinked and waved a hand in front of his nose."Whoa, are you drunk Naruto?"_**

**_"Don't Kyuubi."_**

**_"Don't what?"_**

**_"He's…no good."_**

**_"No good?" He glanced back at Kabuto curiously, then flicked his eyes to Naruto. "Do you know him?"_**

**_"Bad…feeling."_**

**_Kyuubi sighed and ruffled his friend's hair. "Naruto, you're drunk and you're being paranoid, there's nothing wrong with Kabuto." He tried to pull away but Naruto held tight on his sleeve._**

**_"Kyuubi no."_**

**_Kyuubi frowned and pried the hand off. "Okay I think that's enough, we're leaving Naruto."_**

**_He turned back to Kabuto and shrugged, "We'll have to pick this up again sometime." He pulled out a pen and grabbed Kabuto's arm, scribbling his cell number across the skin. The light haired boy nodded with a smile and left._**

**_Kyuubi grinned. "Alright drunkie McGee, let's go."_**

**_Kyuubi turned around to find Naruto with a heavy scowl on his flushed face._**

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

"I was always a good judge of character, and I was right about Kabuto. They started hanging out together and he dragged Kyuubi into some fucked up shit. I was always trying to get him away, make him leave but pretty soon they became lovers, or at least Kyuubi _thought _they were lovers. Kabuto worked for a drug dealer…Orochimaru, and got Kyuubi into it. He promised him it was nothing and Kyuubi trusted everyone, was kind to everyone, so he went along with it. Everything came crashing down after that and one day it went too far."

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

**_The door swung open and Naruto jumped, smiling as Kyuubi walked in and began searching the small apartment._**

**_"Forget something?"_**

**_"My black jacket, have you seen it Naruto?"_**

**_Naruto frowned. "You're not going out with Kabuto are you?"_**

**_"Naruto, he's my boyfriend, of course I'm going out with him."_**

**_"But…Kyuubi-"_**

**_"We'll talk later, I'm gonna be late."_**

**_"Kyuubi it's important."_**

**_Kyuubi paused in his search and stared at the blond. "Important?"_**

**_"Yeah."_**

**_He nodded. "Alright then." He sat on the couch and gestured for Naruto to sit next to him._**

**_Naruto obeyed and took the other seat, rubbing his hands on his knees before speaking softly. "I …thought about your offer to come live with you."_**

**_Kyuubi brightened up considerably and grabbed his friend's hands. "Naruto! That's great! You'll come!"_**

**_Naruto bit his lip. "Only…only if you stop seeing Kabuto."_**

**_Kyuubi flinched and dropped the other's hands. "What?"_**

**_"He's not good for you Kyuubi! Look at the things he's making you do!"_**

**_"He's not making me do anything!"_**

**_"Kyuubi he works for a fucking drug dealer!"_**

**_"That doesn't mean anything, Naruto. You of all people should know better than to judge by appearances or what someone does to make ends meet."_**

**_Naruto shot up angrily. "I don't trust him and neither should you! It's like a rat working for a snake!"_**

**_"Don't call him that! I love him!"_**

**_"Kyuubi! He doesn't love YOU!"_**

**_Kyuubi stood up as well. "How would you know?"_**

**_Naruto was on the verge of tears, desperate to save his friend, make him understand that Kabuto was not a good person. "Because I love you! And the things he does to you...Kyuubi, that's not love."_**

**_Kyuubi sighed and gripped Naruto's shoulders, pulling him close and touching their foreheads together. "I know you love me, I love you too, and I know you're just looking out for me… But Naruto you have to understand I want to be with Kabuto and I need you to accept him like I do. Can you do that for me?"_**

**_"Kyuubi…Kyuubi, he's not-"_**

**_"Please? For me?"_**

**_Naruto sniffed and pulled his friend into a full hug, holding the other close. "Just…be careful, please Kyuubi. God, be careful with him."_**

**_Kyuubi nodded and hugged him back. "Don't worry about me so much, and I'm so happy you're coming to live with me! You are still coming right?"_**

**_"If it makes you that happy…then yeah, I'll come."_**

**_Kyuubi smiled huge and lost his fingers in blond hair, locking green eyes with blue ones. "When I come back, we'll go and celebrate, just you and me."_**

**_Naruto nodded and lightly gripped the other's wrists. "Okay."_**

**_Kyuubi planted a small kiss on Naruto's forehead before leaving the apartment._**

**_He never came back._**

**_Naruto opened his eyes groggily and looked at his bedside clock. 2:47 am._**

**_Kyuubi should have been back by now._**

**_He frowned and got off the bed. He was still dressed, so he grabbed a jacket and walked out the door._**

**_Kyuubi was probably at that warehouse, where they had met Orochimaru. A shiver ran up his spine at the memory, how the man's odd golden eyes had raked up his body, not bothering to conceal the obvious lustful intentions they held. Kabuto was no different. His head hung down and he stared at his footsteps walking one in front of the other until something caught his attention._**

**_He stopped walking and felt whatever air was held in his lungs seep out._**

**_Police. Everywhere._**

**_Yellow tape. Closed off._**

**_Flashing cars. Parked._**

**_Scenes like this one were never a good thing for Naruto; they tore open the wound of that day._**

**_As much as he wanted to get away from here, it was the only way to reach the warehouse, he had to pass through._**

**_Naruto forced himself to step forward and stopped when an officer approached him._**

**_"This area is closed off son; I'm going to have to ask you to leave."_**

**_'Oh God.'_**

**_Naruto swallowed the lump that had just formed in his throat, "I …I just need to pass through…to get somewhere."_**

**_"I'm sorry, I can't let you pass. Regulations, you know?"_**

**_Naruto nodded and his breathing increased when he spotted two men spraying the ground with pressurized water, the same method they use to wash away blood. He placed a hand on his chest in an attempt to quell his racing heart._**

**_"What happened here?"_**

**_The officer gave him a skeptical look. "Why do you need to know?"_**

**_Naruto flinched. He had to think of something…maybe he could mention that woman? Tsuande? Did she even still work for the police force? …Well it was worth a shot._**

**_"I'm…Tsuande's um…nephew?"_**

**_The man blinked. "Tsuande has a nephew?"_**

**_"Uh...of course she does?"_**

**_"Oh, did she send you down here?"_**

**_"Um…yeah, sure."_**

**_The cop nodded and pulled out a notepad. "We got a call about a body, a boy, fifteen years old."_**

**_'No.'_**

**_"Found him in this alley, naked, bloody, gunshot wounds in the chest."_**

**_'Oh god no…'_**

**_"Raped repeatedly, witnesses saw four men leaving the scene, two were identified."_**

**_'He can't be…'_**

**_"Wanted men, Kabuto and Orochimaru, he was seen holding the gun. We've sent several squads out to track them down but nothing's come up yet."_**

**_He pulled out a plastic bag with a license inside. Red hair, green eyes. Kyuubi Monosuke._**

**_"We're assuming this is the boy, found the license in his pants that were thrown across the alley. They shot him and left him to die."_**

**_Naruto's pupils dilated as he fell on his hands and knees, retching violently on the ground. Tears coursed down his face as he continued emptying the contents of his stomach, vaguely hearing the officer yell a curse and crouch down beside him._**

**_When he finished vomiting, Naruto stayed still, not aware of the man next to him asking him if he was alright. All he could picture, all he could think of was Kyuubi…his best friend, his brother was dead…_**

**_The urge to throw up rushed back, but there was nothing left to get out._**

**_He shot up from the ground and ran back to his apartment, the yells of the cop drowned out by the pounding of his heart in his ears._**

**_Naruto threw open the door to his home, screaming. He hit the wall with a fist with violent force, knocking a picture down, then threw over his table and fell to the floor in a heap of limp flesh, still screaming. He screamed until his throat was dry and his voice hoarse. His breathing was erratic and the tears still hadn't stopped flowing. He lay on the floor, his screaming dwindling down to quiet sobbing._**

**_It was so unfair…what the fuck had he ever done to deserve this kind of pain? What had Kyuubi done? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Then why did they rip Kyuubi away from him like that? And God…in such a disgusting way. Those bastards…they were the ones that deserved to die that way._**

**_Why did everyone he love have to be torn away from him? Kyuubi…his parents…God, why? What had he done? Why the people that mattered to him the most?_**

**_Naruto let out another sob before wiping his nose and standing up. He stumbled over to his dresser and gazed at himself in the mirror._**

**_His teeth gritted at his own reflection. This pathetic thing that had lost everything it loved. He sniffed and opened a drawer, pulling out a small pocket knife and flicking the blade out._**

**_He stared at it impassively._**

**_Well then, maybe it was better not to love at all. He lifted the knife and placed it against his cheek, then ran it across, forming a straight bloody line, his eyes watching every movement in the mirror._**

**_He paused. Watching as the drop of blood trickled down his face. "Never again…" he croaked out. He wouldn't lose anymore loved ones because he wasn't going to have anymore loved ones to lose. Love would be foreign to him._**

**_But he wouldn't forget the ones he had loved that were torn away by death._**

**_He looked at the line again._**

**_Mother._**

**_The knife lowered, slicing in another line._**

**_Father._**

**_And down again to mark the third line._**

**_Kyuubi._**

**_Every time he saw these marks, they would stand as not only symbols, but reminders. He moved the knife to the other cheek, trailing another even line, mirror image of the one for his mother._**

**_He would never allow someone he loved to take advantage of him._**

**_Under, across, more blood spills._**

**_He would never hurt those he loved._**

**_One more…for him._**

**_He would never be as trusting with people as Kyuubi was, or as loving._**

**_He dropped the knife and stared at his reflection, watched as the tears mixed with the red liquid making it seem as if he had been crying blood. All these vows could be kept and tied together by one simple promise._**

**_Uzumaki Naruto would never love again._**

**_A weight fell off his shoulders and he felt lightheaded. He smiled as he collapsed to the floor, watching with blurred vision as the door flew open and a red headed boy crouched down and cradled him._**

**_"Naruto! Are you alright? Kiba! Call an ambulance!"_**

**_Naruto's eyes widened slightly and his smile broadened._**

**_"Kyuu…b…" was all he could manage before he was drawn into merciful darkness._**

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

Sasuke frowned and pulled the quietly crying boy to his chest, stroking his hair softly. "Kyuubi was still alive?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, it was Gaara." he sniffed.

Sasuke nodded.

He knew it was cruel, but he couldn't lie. He was actually a bit glad that this Kyuubi boy wasn't around anymore. For Naruto to talk about someone so lovingly…passionately, it made him insanely jealous. He wanted Naruto for himself and he wanted to show him that loving someone won't always end in pain, despite the fact that he hadn't loved before himself.

"Fucking bastard." Naruto coughed out. He gripped Sasuke's shoulder "Making it so hard for me…" came out in a whisper, luckily Sasuke hadn't caught it.

Sasuke sighed heavily and placed a finger under the other's chin, bringing his head up slightly so their eyes could meet.

Cool black against wet blue.

He brought up his other hand and cupped Naruto's cheek, not uttering a word as he continued to stare at him.

He was in love with this boy…and he wanted him. But these boundaries and limitations Naruto had set for himself…they made it difficult for him.

He let out a breath that swept over the other's face and brought him closer. Their faces were mere centimeters apart and Naruto was deathly still while Sasuke moved forward cautiously. He hesitated for a moment before placing a small kiss on Naruto's forehead and felt him flinch.

Sasuke moved his hands to cup Naruto's face and pressed their lips together. A spark of delight coursed through Sasuke's body as his mouth moved against Naruto's. It was so much better than he had imagined. Naruto's lips were soft, mellow, full.

Sasuke let his eyes slip shut as he snuck his tongue in the other's mouth and ran it along his teeth. He wrapped the wet muscle around Naruto's tongue and sucked lightly, feeling blood pool in his groin when Naruto released a soft moan. The grip on his shoulders tightened as he pressed harder against the other boy, plundering his mouth like a forgotten lover. His hand snaked to the back of Naruto's head, fisting the golden locks firmly. He broke the kiss for air and pulled away a bit, breathing heavily.

Naruto was no different; he moved his hands to hook on pale wrists, their breaths mingling. He gulped and looked up, "Sasuke…wait-" he was cut off when lips descended on his again, desperate for a repeat.

Desire began spreading throughout his body as Sasuke pushed him down on the sand; he allowed his fingers to twine with raven locks.

The Uchiha was panting now, breaking kisses and quickly sealing them back. He laced one of their hands together, bringing them above Naruto's head. His other hand slid its way under Naruto, to the small of his back. He lifted him, pressed their bare chest against one another as he continued to massage the boy's mouth with searing kisses.

Naruto lowered the hand in Sasuke's hair down to his shoulder, gripping it softly and shoving his tongue into Sasuke's mouth.

Sasuke let out a ragged breath and placed a knee against Naruto's crotch, kneading it gently. Naruto gasped and arched up at his ministrations. Sasuke groaned deeply and held Naruto's mouth against his own, not allowing him to break away. He was excited and this had gone farther than he'd intended it too…not to say he wasn't enjoying it because he was, immensely, but still…after such a delicate moment with Naruto…it wasn't right.

Sasuke pulled away and stared at his friend, his heart jumping at the sight.

Naruto with both arms above his head, one hand still locked with his own, his gorgeous tanned body pressed down against the sand, marked face flushed from exertion and blushing lightly.

What he wouldn't give to see that face scrunched up in pleasure and whispering his name.

Sasuke bit his lip. "I'm sorry."

Naruto paused for a moment, blinked, opened his mouth, decided against it and closed it, leaving his response as a small shrug and a frown.

Sasuke sighed and sat back up, wincing as the bulge in his pants brushed against Naruto's leg. He cradled his head in his hands and began willing it away.

Naruto was still frowning. He looked to his side, raking his fingers through the sand, lost in thought.

Both boys sat silently, listening to the crash of the ocean and trying to quell the fight of morals within them.

**x-X-0-X-x**

Naruto sighed and drummed his fingers against his stomach, staring out the window at the moonlit sky. He sighed again and looked over his bed, down at the other boy on the floor. "Hey Sasuke."

"Hm?"

"I was thinking…about you leaving...I wouldn't mind if you came to live here, so you could get away from your family."

Sasuke raised a brow and looked up at him. "Why the sudden kindness dobe?"

Naruto pouted and threw him a glare. "It's just a suggestion; don't get your panties in a twist."

The other chuckled and shrugged. "I'd have to think about it for a while."

Naruto cocked his head. "That's okay; I just want you to know it's an offer."

Sasuke snorted. "Will you still make me sleep on the floor?"

Naruto laughed. "If you're nice, I might consider buying you a little doggy bed."

"Tch, how sweet of you."

Naruto smiled and threw an arm over the edge of the bed. "Only for you, teme." He laughed again and lightly brushed his fingertips along Sasuke's side, flinching when he heard a surprised snort.

He grinned with delight. "What's this?" Naruto repeated the action and again received another soft, quick breath. Blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "Sasuke…Sasuke are you _ticklish_?"

Sasuke frowned and caught Naruto's wrist. "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I think you're lying."

"Go to sleep."

Naruto lifted his upper body off of the bed with his other hand. "Sasuke you _cannot _be ticklish!"

"I'm not!"

"Let me touch you."

"What?"

"C'mon, you say you're not, I want to see."

"No."

"I knew it! You are!"

"Naruto, drop it."

Naruto smiled mischievously and leapt off the bed, straddling Sasuke's stomach and yanking his hand out of the other's grip. He began running his fingers over every inch of space on Sasuke's torso. His sides, his stomach, every patch of pale skin he could touch, and he was rewarded when peals of laughter erupted from the Sasuke's throat. Naruto grinned as he drank in the sound and continued digging his fingers lightly into the taut flesh. "Not ticklish, huh teme?"

Sasuke couldn't stop. He tried closing his mouth, but his smile stayed and snickers broke through his teeth. "N-Naruto stop!" He threw his arms over his head and continued his bursts of laughter.

"Are you kidding me? I wish someone was friggin _recording _this!"

Sasuke clenched his teeth and mustered all the strength in his body before grabbing both Naruto's wrists and sitting up. He was breathing heavily and still had a hint of a smile on his face. He looked up at Naruto, still holding his wrists in the air on either side of them.

Naruto sighed softly and parted his lips the slightest bit, eyes held by Sasuke's face which was so close to his own. Before he even knew what he was doing, Naruto had closed the distance between them.

Sasuke's eyes widened when Naruto's lips touched his. He hesitated with surprise before relaxing and pushing forward, tightening his grip on the other's wrists. Naruto groaned and pressed his bare chest against Sasuke's, biting his bottom lip and eliciting a gasp from the older boy.

He released the lip and broke the kiss with a distinct 'pop', panting lightly.

Sasuke licked his lips and locked eyes with him. "Naruto…wait a minute-"

"I want you." Naruto blurted, quiet and desperate.

Sasuke flinched, his heart jumping from beating to hammering in his chest. He dropped the wrists.

Naruto's face crossed a frightened and unsure look at Sasuke's reaction to his words. He slowly brought a hand behind Sasuke's head and threaded his fingertips through his hair, then pulled him forward and closed his eyes, pressing their mouths together once more.

Sasuke moaned and grabbed Naruto's sides, pulling their bodies flush against one another. Naruto arched into him and ground down on his lap, lacing his fingers behind Sasuke's head.

Sasuke felt every sensation thrown at him. He pulled back and lowered his lips, brushing them across Naruto's jaw line and nipping lightly at the skin there.

Naruto shuddered and pressed harder against him, his hips rolling slowly.

Sasuke released a heavy, shaky breath before grabbing the blond and standing up to toss him on the bed. Naruto made an annoyed sound when his skull made contact with the headboard.

"Watch it." He growled, but Sasuke ignored the warning and climbed on the bed as well.

Naruto sat up and began grinding upwards when Sasuke grabbed his wrists again and placed them against the headboard on either side of Naruto's head.

Naruto moaned as heat pooled in his loins, knowing he would regret this later but these urges weren't something he could control or just ignore anymore.

Sasuke ground the boy down into the bed as an opposing force against the other's upward thrusts, creating a sweet and mind blowing friction that left them hungry for more. He trailed his lips down Naruto's cheek, flicking a tongue out every now and then to moisten patches of skin. When his journey downward was interrupted by the band-aid on Naruto' neck, he stopped.

Naruto made a confused noise when Sasuke let go of one of his wrist to trace the outline of the band-aid. "I know you're lying to me about how you got this, Naruto." He peeled it back, not surprised that it came off easily from being wet earlier at the beach. The wound beneath it was small now, a thin, pink line.

"I know that something or someone must have given it to you, but I _don't_ know why you're lying to me about it." He placed his lips to the marked skin so they brushed against the Naruto's senses when he spoke, "But that doesn't matter, as long as they know you already belong to someone else." Sasuke whispered before taking the marred flesh between his teeth and giving a hard suck.

"Ah!" Naruto yelped and arched and yanked him closer with his free hand. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke responded with another suck and began a feverish rhythm, swiping his tongue against the captured flesh as well. When he felt his point was proven, he released the skin and licked his lips, smiling at the impressive red mark he'd left behind.

Naruto panted and fingered the spot, residue saliva smearing before his wrist was trapped once again against the headboard. Sasuke lowered his head to the Naruto's chest, smirking before wrapping his mouth around a pert nipple, still not releasing his grasp on the other's wrists.

Naruto groaned and drew one leg up; throwing his head back to bang against the board when Sasuke's surprisingly talented tongue swirled around the nub and let it go. He was burning inside, need growing. He tried to free his wrists but Sasuke held steady.

Sasuke smirked and leaned into the Naruto's face, flicking his tongue over the other's lips and tracing them with it. He gasped sharply when Naruto suddenly bucked into him, and he ground down reflexively. Sasuke panted quietly, falling lower until he pressed his mouth against the spiral on Naruto's stomach.

His tongue slipped out, the tip tracing the pattern until it reached the center and dipped into Naruto's navel, probing it.

When Naruto whimpered and thrust desperately against him, Sasuke went further. He removed the tip of Naruto's boxers with his teeth, then captured the head of Naruto's shaft in his mouth, circling his tongue and sucking.

Naruto gasped and shuddered, fisting his hands and digging his nails into his skin as he held back a loud cry. "Ah...God.."

A grin spread out on Sasuke's face and he released the erection, then mashed Naruto's entire body between the headboard and his own, never letting go of the captive wrists. There were probably going to be red marks around his wrists but Naruto had more important things to worry about, like how he was going to get Sasuke to fuck him. Then again it's rather hard to think when your partner is trailing his tongue and multiple kisses all over your face, not to mention grinding you down on the bed and…sucking on all the right places and…oh God…the direct approach was always good. "Sasuke, enough with the fucking foreplay. I want you inside, I want it now." He demanded.

Sasuke paused in his ministrations and looked up at him. "You're sure about this?"

Naruto nodded quickly and wound his legs around the other's torso, pulling him closer. "_Now_."

"Naruto…I want you to be sure-"

"_Damn _it Sasuke-"

"Okay! Okay!"

It wasn't that Sasuke didn't want to be inside of Naruto, of course he did, more than anything. To feel the boy wrapped around him, swallowing him into what was sure to be nothing but pleasurably tight heat. The thought of it seemed like an impossible dream.

But he wanted Naruto to want it as much as he did, and he wanted it to be as important as it was to him. He slipped two of his fingers into his mouth and coated them thoroughly with saliva, then pulled them out and slid the middle one up Naruto's ass, his member twitching when the blond jumped and moaned loudly.

He moved the digit in and out slowly; releasing Naruto's other wrist so he could pull off his own boxers that were confining his erection and finish yanking off Naruto's.

Naruto's blue eyes widened a bit when he took in Sasuke's nude form… He was really beautiful. He felt heat rise to his cheeks from sudden embarrassment about his own body.

Sasuke cocked his head and rubbed his cheek against the Naruto's flushed one, then nipped at his ear. "What's wrong?"

Naruto bit his lip and shook his head, focusing on the finger moving inside him.  
Sasuke smirked. "Don't lie to me." He chuckled softly and rammed the finger back inside, successfully hitting Naruto's prostate. A wave of ecstasy crashed over Naruto's body and he gasped loudly, "Ah! Hah…God again…"

"You like that, huh dobe?" He slid in a second finger and scissored them slowly, enraptured as Naruto's face was assaulted with different expressions. From pain to discomfort and finally, pleasure, when that bundle of nerves was struck again.

Sasuke continued moving the digits and abusing that spot until Naruto began moving with him; moaning and grinding down on the fingers, fucking himself. He growled and grabbed Sasuke's active wrist, forcing the hand deeper inside and throwing Sasuke a lust filled gaze.

"_Sasuke_," he breathed.

Sasuke nodded and curled the fingers inward, making Naruto hiss with delight. "Do you have something to…you know."

Naruto groaned and quickly opened the drawer to his nightstand, rummaging around for a moment before pulling out a bottle of lube and closing the drawer, and then held it out to the other boy. Sasuke stared at the bottle, "How long has that been in there?"

Naruto made a frustrated noise and banged his head against the headboard. "For Christ's sake, Sasuke we are _not _playing fucking twenty questions here!" He forced the bottle into the pale boy's free hand and demanded he hurry up.

Sasuke shrugged off the moment and pulled his fingers out, listening to Naruto's whine of displeasure and pouring a generous amount of lube in his palm. He rubbed his hands together and wrapped both around his rock hard erection, a shiver running up his spine from the cool substance coming in contact with his heated skin. He began pumping slowly, coating it. He glanced up for a moment and found Naruto looking away, he smiled and leaned down to his neck, kissing it sweetly, still pumping himself. "Why are you looking away?"

A plain as day blush flooded Naruto's cheeks, "This'll be finished pretty fast if I watch you do that to yourself." He flinched as something cool poked at his entrance and he gripped the other's shoulder, lips at his ear.

"Is that right?"

Naruto nodded, and then moaned when Sasuke's arousal slowly pushed inside of him.

A whimper fell from his lips when the other was fully sheathed; he drew both of his knees up in an attempt to widen himself a bit. Sasuke shuddered from the warmth surrounding him, just as he had imagined, better even. He pulled out halfway and slowly pushed back in, trying to get the other used to the feeling.

When Naruto started moving with him, he picked up the pace, his slow pushes increasing to needy thrusts.

Naruto groaned loudly and lifted his arms, gripping the top of the headboard with both hands and slamming himself down on Sasuke's cock, his own gleaming with pre-cum in the moonlight. Sasuke lifted his hands as well, placing them over Naruto's on the head board and using it as a support to put more power into his thrusts. He pressed against Naruto, the tan body moving up and down along with him as he continued slamming into the boy.

Naruto threw his head back with a loud "fuck" as the pleasure ripped through his body. He wrapped his legs around the other and moaned encouragingly. "Shit, _Sasuke_…"

Sasuke rubbed his lips and nose against Naruto's throat, leaving licks and love bites to mark the skin. He slowed down his thrusts from fast and quick to slow, deep, and sensual, the tip brushing that spot every time he pushed in and made Naruto groan in ecstasy.

The heat in his stomach was coiling, he knew he was near orgasm and he didn't think he was ever happier than at this very moment.

Naruto let out a warning cry that he was close as well and Sasuke whispered it against the Naruto's neck before he could stop himself:

"I love you."

Blue orbs went wide before quickly squeezing shut and Naruto let out a moan as streams of cum splashed on his and Sasuke's stomachs, feeling Sasuke's own seed release inside of him.

They slid down the headboard, bodies flushed and sweaty. Sasuke pulled out and rolled off the boy, his tongue dry from what he had just confessed. He took a chance and looked at him.

Naruto had a blank expression on his face, calm and panting lightly from the orgasm but not revealing any emotion. He looked at Sasuke, and the confusion and apprehension on Sasuke's face made his heart clench. Naruto forced a reassuring smile and traced the pale boy's lips with his fingers. Sasuke returned the gesture with a more relaxed smile and pulled the blond against him, stroking his hair softly and pressing a kiss on his forehead. Naruto frowned and buried his face in the other's chest, vaguely feeling Sasuke grab a pair of boxers off the floor and wipe them clean before tossing it back.

Sasuke…had said he loved him…but did Naruto…He flinched when Sasuke wrapped his arms around him and breathed heavily into his hair with a content sigh.

A small, genuine smile played on Naruto's lips as he wound his arms around the other too, allowing the warmth to comfort his spinning thoughts.

"Oh well…" he murmured quietly.

Those were problems better dealt with tomorrow.


	11. Always

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**"Nobody deserves your tears, but whoever deserves them will not make you cry."**

-Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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**xxxFinal Chapter: Alwaysxxx**

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes to the burning morning, squeezing them shut and then blinking groggily as he brought the room into focus.

Sasuke first noticed that his arm was numb, placed under and wrapped around a heavy weight, his fingers curled around something soft, warm, and rounded that was shivering just the slightest bit. He moaned and lifted his other hand to rub the sleep out of his eye with the heel of his palm, memories of the previous night slowly unraveling themselves from the blurry wrappings of dream and reality.

His lips twitched into a small smile when he clearly remembered where he was, who he was with. What they had done.

He recalled the feel of hot skin caught helplessly between his teeth, the pulsing of blood beneath his fingers as he held his partner's wrists. The warmth that had cradled and welcomed him between his legs when they became one, and the way their bodies had melded so perfectly when they moved along each other against the wood of the headboard.

He remembered everything. But the night had lacked one very crucial thing that would have completed his mind crashing experience with the most important words he yearned to hear.

Yes, it had been ecstasy to listen to the other cry out as he marked him. And yes, it had been heaven to hear to him beg for more as he slid in and out of him. All of the other's moans, his pants, his pleas, his cries had slowly dried up the lake of doubt within the pit of Sasuke's being. But there was one drop left, one drop that hadn't been evaporated. It had stayed, soaking, only because his confession, which had slipped out of its own accord in the heat and throws of scalding passion, had yet to be answered to.

Perhaps even acknowledged.

His smile fell away at this thought, and at the realization that his chest was being touched and smeared by warm liquid. He cast his gaze to see the white sheets rising up and down at an uneven pace. Hiding the person he had made love to, dreamt about, and couldn't wait to see this morning. A pale hand reached up and gripped the fabric, pulling the shield down to reveal Naruto crying mutely on his chest.

Sasuke reflexively threw off the sheet and sat up, his arm falling away from the other's shoulder and causing Naruto to slide off and begin to wipe furiously at his tears.

But the Uchiha would have none of that. His features took on a soft, concerned look as he pulled down Naruto's hands, cupping his face and bringing it close to his own. "Hey, hey, what's the matter?" He murmured softly.

Naruto let out a shaky breath and hooked his hands on the pale boy's wrists, looking down and shaking his head slowly. "S-Sasuke...I can't...last night...I'm..." He broke off, not finding the strength or will to finish what he was saying.

Sasuke tilted his head and brought the other's face up to meet his gaze. His heart clenched to see those unearthly blue eyes wet, puffy, and rimmed with red.

What the hell had happened?

Naruto tried to drop his stare again but Sasuke gripped his chin and forced it higher. "Look at me," he commanded, then sighed when Naruto met his eyes only to shut them closed in what was probably just an act of rebellion.

Sasuke smiled and slid his hands down slowly, skimming his fingers over the other's neck and running them along his shoulder blades before lightly dragging his nails down the hard expanse of chest and stomach, ending his journey by harshly gripping Naruto's hips and pulling him forward until he straddled Sasuke's lap. Through all this, Naruto had shivered under the caresses and whined to be touched, so Sasuke knew the fire from last night was still burning bright.

Sasuke breathed heavily and cupped the boy's face again, tan hands automatically flying up to retake their positions of hooking onto his wrists. Sasuke eyed the hands before turning his attention back to Naruto. "Tell me what happened. Why are you so upset? What _about_ last night?" He encouraged.

Naruto stared at him and parted his lips; tears trickling one by one as his breathing picked up. "Don't make me say it..." was the quiet reply.

Sasuke raised a brow at that comment but didn't move. "Say what? Tell me what's wrong." He flinched when Naruto suddenly broke down and let out an abrupt sob, tightening his grip on Sasuke, face contorting into something desperate and tears flowing freely. "Don't make me say it!" He repeated in a stern yell.

Instead of backing away, Sasuke pulled him closer and hushed him quietly. "Shh, I won't make you do anything; I just want to help you."

Naruto shook his head and let go of Sasuke's wrists, moving them to the other's hair instead and pulling him close enough so that he panted heavily into Sasuke's mouth. And he whispered the boy's name repeatedly, "Sasuke, Sasuke..._Sasuke_..."

Despite the situation, Sasuke found himself slightly aroused from the contact and the absolutely erotic way Naruto was breathing his name. It sounded like a sin falling from his lips with the amount of desperation that one word held.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, relax. I'm right here, calm down Naruto."

"Sasuke...I can't...I want to...but I-"

"It's alright Naruto, you can tell me, I'm here for you."

Naruto searched the other's face warily. He wanted to tell him, so badly, but saying it...saying it out loud...made it _real_. If he said it, he'd be breaking a promise to himself... He couldn't do that.

But Naruto he knew he was lying to himself, he knew last night hadn't just been a fuck for him no matter how much he wanted to believe it had been. But if he kept quiet, if he didn't say anything, it wouldn't have to be made a reality. He could barely admit it to himself, and if he admitted it out loud he knew the force of truth in the words would slap him in the face.

Could he keep it to himself? If he could let it simmer there in the back of his mind and pretend he didn't feel that way, then Sasuke would believe he didn't because Naruto had never _said _it was true. He had once told Sasuke he hated him, and that _was _true. Naruto had believed it, and because he had voiced it, Sasuke had believed it as well. And Naruto never lies.

Naruto _knew _what he felt now was no lie, but Sasuke didn't need to know that. He could just tell Sasuke last night had meant nothing and be done with it.

But that _would _be a lie. He wouldn't lie to Sasuke...and he didn't want to admit these feelings and make them a reality.

So what the _fuck_ was he supposed to do?

He suddenly threw a nasty glare at Sasuke. _'You're the worst thing that's ever happened to me,'_ his mind cursed with unrestrained venom.

But the moment he thought those words, his face blanched, and he was overcome with such guilt that his stomach turned and the taste of bile rose in his throat. He sobbed again and buried his face in Sasuke's neck, his fingers still tangled with black strands and he whimpered the one word that remained steadfast and unchanged through the confusing mess of his morals and thoughts: "_Sasuke_..."

Sasuke kissed Naruto's hair and wrapped his arms around him. "It's okay, don't be upset."

He couldn't tell him.

"You can trust me."

He had to tell him.

"I'm here for you."

He didn't want to tell him.

"I love you, it's alright."

Yes...he did.

Naruto slowly dropped his hands from Sasuke's hair and wound them loosely around his torso, his mouth drying up before the words even left his throat and fell from his lips in a feather soft whisper, "...I love you too."

Sasuke flinched and gripped him tighter, his heart skipping a beat at the confession. "Is that..." He licked his lips and turned his face into Naruto's hair. "Is that all you were trying to say?"

Naruto didn't respond.

"Naruto," he called sternly. "Is that all-"

"Yes..."

Sasuke's eyes unfocused as he replayed how broke down Naruto had been just a few moments ago. He never dreamed it would be so difficult for someone to admit something like that...but in Naruto's case, he could understand. He was also numb with the fact that those words had calmed him. Sasuke could not think of one problem, one difficulty, nothing troubled him at this moment, all because Naruto had erased his doubts with those four little words.

Nothing mattered right now. Not Itachi, not Kyuubi, not Orochimaru...nothing. This wasn't about their pasts; this was about their present and their future. And presently, they loved each other, and that was all Sasuke needed to know.

He jerked when Naruto whispered his name. "Yes?"

Naruto looked up at him. And Sasuke, for a split second, did not recognize him. Because Naruto's face was held in something that Sasuke had come close to but had never actually _seen _on the other's face before: complete vulnerability. As if his hidden confession was the only thing that had held up the barrier between them, and the minute he had voiced it, the wall came crumbling down.

Naruto averted his gaze to the window, surprised about how suddenly he'd stopped bawling, and glanced back at Sasuke, looking him straight in the eyes. "I...can't afford to lose you too, Sasuke." He leaned forward earnestly, whispering against his mouth. "I don't know...what will happen to me if I do...What I'll end up doing to myself. I've lost too many people."

Sasuke flicked his gaze from Naruto's lips to his chest and back to his eyes. He pulled him closer. "I won't leave you."

Naruto bit his lip. "Promise me."

Sasuke's mouth parted and he sighed. "I don't-"

"If I'm going to let myself feel this way for you, then I want your word that it'll be worth it, Sasuke." Naruto explained, quiet but firm.

"I...hm..." Sasuke clicked his tongue as he thought of a proper way to phrase what he wanted to say, moving a lock of blond hair behind a tan ear. "I promise that I will never leave you of my own choice. If I can be with you, I will, Naruto. Is that all right?"

Naruto cupped Sasuke's face and hovered over him when a picture of Orochimaru flashed across his mind. "I can't lose you," he repeated.

"You won't."

Naruto nodded and closed his eyes as Sasuke pushed up against him, pressing their lips together. And a smile pulled around the corners of his mouth when he realized he could kiss Sasuke now with no promise boundaries or moral restraints holding him back.

**x-X-0-X-x**

Kakashi had a lovely surprise for his students today. A pop chemistry quiz.

So, he had taken the liberty of moving the desks very far away from each other to avoid any instances of cheating, which he noticed had been going on a lot lately during his tests when he sat down to read his perfectly _clean_ little orange novel. It was SO clean, just look at the cover, not a speck of dirt!

Well, after he had passed out the quiz, which consisted of three questions based on atomic matter, Naruto was surprised to find that he had breezed through it in less than five minutes. Even with his little emotional breakdown this morning, it seemed that Sasuke's tutoring managed to stick with him. But he muttered a curse when he remembered that Sasuke was at least two desks away from him, so he couldn't fuck with him or...actually _fuck_ with him or anything. There was nothing to do!

First, Naruto opted for fantasizing, where he could dream that he was inconspicuously giving Sasuke a hand job below the desk and laughing as the boy tried to contain his moans and whines. But shit, that would give him a hard on wouldn't it? Fuck...well, then all that was left was to go to sleep. And so that's what he did.

But just as he was drifting off, Naruto jerked awake and snorted as something hard struck him on the head. He frowned at the crumpled ball of paper on his desk and picked it up, his lips forming the words silently as he read it.

_**Meet me in the bathroom in seven minutes.**_

_**-Sasuke**_

First, he scrunched up his nose as he pondered why the _hell _Sasuke would pick such a random number as _seven _to meet in the bathroom. Seriously, five was good enough, and just what the fuck did he want to meet in the bathroom for anyway?

This morning suddenly flashed across his mind: the extreme groping/make-out session/dry humping events that happened on the bed, followed by the hickey inducing/blow-job/_wet _humping that took place in the shower... He had a pretty good idea exactly what it was Sasuke wanted in the bathroom.

He suddenly looked up as he heard a desk shuffle and saw Sasuke walk up to Kakashi, ask him something, and Kakashi reply with a shrug and something that sounded like, "They're _your _bowel movements" then wave him off. Sasuke nodded and proceeded to the door, sparing a glance at Naruto before walking out.

Naruto raised a brow and looked at the clock.

The second hand ticked four times.

"Okay, that's long enough." Naruto stood up and took the same path to his teacher's desk, tapping on it lightly. "Can I go to the bathroom?"

Kakashi snapped his book shut and slammed it on the table. "Why do you kids insist on _asking_ me if you can go take a shit? I don't _care_, just _go_."

Naruto grinned and turned away.

The silver haired man sat back in his chair and picked up his book, opening it and then peeking over at the retreating student, smirking. "Not that I care about how you touch each other when others aren't around, just as long as you pass my tests."

**x-X-0-X-x**

Naruto peered inside the bathroom cautiously. "Sasuke?" he whispered, before stepping inside. He yelped when he was suddenly shoved against the door and a pair of hungry lips crashed on top of his. He felt a tongue squirming inside his mouth, prying him open and he harshly gripped Sasuke's hair. "Mmn! Sa- mph!" Naruto saw the other's hand turn the lock next to his head and felt him press harder against his unresponsive partner, pushing him into the door.

Naruto growled and yanked him away roughly with his other hand, panting for the breath Sasuke had stolen with his little surprise hello. "What the...hah...what the _hell_ Sasuke?"

Sasuke frowned slightly. "Sorry, and that was not seven minutes, dobe. Or did you forget how to count?"

Naruto shrugged and looked around the empty bathroom. "I got bored. How did you know no one was going to be in here?"

The Uchiha smirked and grabbed Naruto, flinging him to the sink and cupping his chin in his hand, forcing him to look at themselves in the mirror before whispering in his ear, "I _didn't_."

Naruto chuckled. "Figures you'd be some kind of freaky exhibitionist. And what, my dear prick, do you plan to do with me since you dragged me down here?"

Sasuke smiled and began a trail of kisses down Naruto's neck. "I know you're stupid," he murmured against the skin. "But I think even you can figure that one out on your own."

Naruto groaned and tilted his head to the side, allowing his lover more access. "Humor me."

"Oh I'll do a lot more than that, dobe."

"Teme."

"Ursuratonkachi."

"Fuck you."

Sasuke suddenly jerked Naruto's head to him so they were staring at each other. "Anytime." He pressed their mouths together, running his tongue along the seam of Naruto's lips, savoring the taste of him and reminding himself of all of last night's hidden pleasures that had unlocked themselves for him.

And now he was going to explore them all over again.

Naruto arched back and began grinding himself into the sink in front of him, but Sasuke noticed this and pressed hard enough against him to cease his movements. "No pleasuring yourself here _baka_, that's what you have me for." His breath was hot in Naruto's ear as he shoved a hand inside of his pants, tracing a finger along the sensitive skin of Naruto's confined member.

Naruto moaned. "_Shit_..." He tossed his head back into the juncture that connected Sasuke's neck and shoulder, nipped at the skin there. "We don't really have a lot of time here."

Sasuke paused for a moment before smirking. "We have enough." He pulled his pants down, along with his boxers and waited for Naruto to do the same.

Naruto glanced at him before following his example, and he caught Sasuke's hand when he saw it reaching for him.

Sasuke gave him a wary look. "What's wrong? Are you all right?" The morning events replayed in his mind, and he readied himself to comfort the other if he fell into that state again.

Naruto shook his head and stepped forward, causing Sasuke to take a step back. "I'm fine; I just don't like it when everyone else does all the work." He continued forward until Sasuke bumped into the wall between two stalls.

Sasuke shivered as Naruto went down on him. Feeling Naruto's fingers skim down his torso, even though it was still clothed, sent shivers racing up his spine and fire raining down to his loins. He wondered briefly, if you could die from wanting someone so badly.

When Naruto reached the waiting erection, he wasted no time. He licked his lips, wrapped a hand around the organ, and brought it to his mouth, his other hand moving to grasp Sasuke's hip.

The Uchiha was literally shivering with anticipation as he twined his fingers with sunshine hair, watching his member disappear between pink lips under half lidded blue eyes, his own slipping shut as he released a soft moan.

Naruto groaned and swerved his tongue over every patch of skin he could get to, bit lightly with his teeth, which made the boy above him shudder. He smiled around the erection, working it with his mouth and massaging with his tongue as he moved his hand to play with the other's balls, circling a finger around the velvety flesh and feeling them tighten beneath his ministrations.

Sasuke banged his head against the wall. "_Fuck_..." The wet heat wrapped around him right now was almost as good as the heat of actually being _inside _Naruto. God...was it _normal_ for a mouth to stay that _slick? _It felt so fucking _good_.

When Naruto actually began _sucking,_ oh _God, _Sasuke knew he would lose it. He mustered up all his willpower and yanked at the other's head so he let go.

Naruto looked up at him in confusion, wondering if he'd done something wrong.

Sasuke was panting, and he had to gather himself before he could speak. "Not before...I'm inside..." was the best broken thing he could manage.

Naruto blinked before nodding and standing up, allowing Sasuke to guide him back to the sink in front of the mirror, which he made Naruto face. Sasuke had composed himself better now and was able to function properly. He reached in front of the boy, who was breathing quickly, and turned on the faucet, wetting his fingers, and then turned it back off.

Sasuke buried his face into Naruto's neck before squeezing two fingers into the other's entrance. He kissed the skin lovingly when Naruto whimpered and began scissoring the digits.

Naruto bit his lip to keep from making too much noise, and when he felt he was ready, he pushed down on Sasuke's invading fingers. He smiled with the realization that last night, even though what they did _had _meant something to him, Naruto had just wanted it, and was enjoying it with limits. But now, he was open with Sasuke, and he could enjoy whatever they did together to the fullest. He turned his head to meet the other's lips in a gentle brush. "_Sasuke_..."

Sasuke smiled and pulled his fingers out, the head of his cock replacing them. Sasuke pressed his cheek against Naruto's and pushed the other's gaze back to the mirror. "Last night when I made love to you, you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."

Naruto chuckled and hooked his hands on the edges of the sink, staring at Sasuke in the mirror. "Stop over exaggerating."

But that smile didn't falter. "I want you to _see_ how beautiful you are."

Naruto groaned and arched when Sasuke slid into him, the pain winding up his spine like a snake and sinking its fangs in, followed by the fiery burn of pleasure spreading through his limbs and eating away at the pain.

Sasuke snuck his hand under the other's shirt, palming it over the expanse of hot, sweaty flesh, and whispering in his lover's ear to keep his eyes on their reflection.

Naruto groaned and tried to do as he was told. He let his gaze lock onto themselves, taking in his flushed face and desire drenched eyes. Sasuke's eyes fixated on his as his thrusts jerked him forward. Naruto began panting, from the sheer erotic viewing of watching them fuck each other and the raw need for more. He reached an arm behind him and gripped a fistful of Sasuke's hair, tilting his head slightly so their lips met but never removing his eyes from the mirror. He whispered harshly, "_More_..." He felt Sasuke move to bite down on his neck and he spoke again, "If I'm so fucking beautiful, _eat_ me."

Sasuke's head snapped up to burn Naruto's eyes in the mirror with his own wanting gaze. "I'll fucking _devour_ you."

Naruto smiled and closed his eyes, tossing his head back. "_Good_." He gasped when Sasuke abruptly pulled out of him and slammed him against the wall that he himself was pleasured against only minutes ago, the mirror forgotten. Sasuke lifted him up and wrapped his legs around his torso before slowly allowing him to sink back down onto his erection.

Naruto moaned and lost his fingers in inky black hair, yanking the other male mere centimeters away from his own flushed face. They panted heavily into each other's mouths as Sasuke's thrust became deeper and less gentle, his upper body rubbing against Naruto's leaking member and spreading pre-cum over his stomach.

Sasuke moved to reach for Naruto's neglected cock, but found his hands gripping tightly to Naruto's sides instead, pulling their bodies as close as physically possible. "God, I love you." He moaned before Naruto sealed their lips, and bit down when he emptied himself into Naruto's heat.

Naruto shuddered; his insides touched with Sasuke's seed caused him to come as well, semen spilling out of his member and onto themselves. His fingers did not lessen their hold on Sasuke's hair, even as they slid down the wall and bathed in the calming afterglow of sex. He in fact, tugged him closer and stared at his eyes, "I love you too." His heart fluttered when Sasuke smiled and nodded, still inside of him.

Naruto couldn't lose Sasuke, he _couldn't_. He bit his lip, _'That's why he has to know, so he can be safe.' _Naruto pushed a bang out of the other's face and murmured a quiet, "Sasuke."

Sasuke looked at him and cleared his throat, feeling questions arise when Naruto put a hand up to his throat and touched the pink scar. "Yeah?"

Naruto averted his gaze to his side. "You were right about this...someone did it to me."

Sasuke felt a fire of anger flare in his stomach. "_Who_?"

The other looked at him calmly. "You have to promise me you won't go after him."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "You and promises-"

"Do it."

"Tch...fine, I won't."

Naruto nodded and licked his lips before looking away again. "It was...it was Orochimaru, the morning after we went to the club. I don't know how he got in. But he came, cut me, threatened to hurt you and left."

Sasuke did his best to hold back his anger, but it still showed through his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I...I don't know. I thought it would be better...I guess, if you didn't know about him."

"Why is he out for me?"

Naruto stared at him. "My guess...because you make me happy...like Kyuubi did. And he also mentioned your brother, but I don't remember what he said about him, I'm sorry."

Sasuke's head snapped up at that. "Wait, you said Orochimaru was a drug dealer, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Back when I knew him, he probably still is."

Sasuke's gaze drifted away distractedly, the white packet Itachi had given him surfacing before his mind's eye. "So that's where he got it from..."

Naruto tilted his head. "Who got what?"

Sasuke flipped the memory over and over again in his mind, then decided that he didn't want to relive that time with Naruto, or share Itachi's drug connections with Orochimaru. He leaned down and planted a kiss on Naruto's lips, soft and reassuring. "What they do is none of our concern, I'll look out for Orochimaru." He pressed his forehead against Naruto's, smiling down at him. "Nothing is going to tear me away from you; I'll kick their asses if they try."

Naruto laughed and hit his shoulder playfully. "You? Uchiha, you couldn't kick a can."

Sasuke snorted through a smile.

Naruto tilted his head and brushed their lips. "Well...you're coming over tonight, right? I have whipped cream..."

Sasuke grinned. "Mmm, that does sound sinfully inviting...but I haven't been home in over three days. Let me go and give them a heart attack, ne?"

**x-X-0-X-x**

The first thing Sasuke laid eyes on when he entered his house was Itachi, sitting cross legged at a brown table with a book open and cradled in his fingers. The elder Uchiha glanced up and smirked. "Well well well, look who's come back from the dead. I was beginning to think something awful had happened to you, little brother." He eyed the dark spot on Sasuke's neck, his lips twitching. "Or perhaps...not so awful?"

Sasuke sneered. "_Itachi, _I know about you and Oro-"

"_Uchiha Sasuke_!"

Said boy actually flinched at the tone of his father's voice, turning to meet the fuming man's gaze in the hallway.

Itachi closed his eyes and snapped his book shut. "I think I'll take my leave now."

"_No_. You stay right there Itachi. This concerns all of us."

Sasuke shifted his backpack on his shoulder and dropped it on the floor, crossing his arms over his chest and staring defiantly at the eldest man in the room.

Fugaku was red with rage, a prominent vein pulsing in his forehead. "Where in the _hell _have you been, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Out."

"Don't you _dare _behave smart with me! You have been gone for nearly a _week!"_

_"_I've been gone for three days."

The man breathed heavily and wiped a hand down his face. "You're very lucky your mother isn't here right now, she's about ready to wring your neck. We went to your school two days ago and you weren't _there. Y_ou've been doing that frequently they said, Sasuke, you've been _skipping, _even after I told you to stop."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Cry me a river why don't you? I don't see what the problem is. Yes, I've been skipping, but I'm passing _fine_-"

"I don't give one _damn_ if you're passing!"

Itachi stood up abruptly with a smile. "Father is impressed with winners Sasuke, those at the top and above everyone else, of which you no longer are."

Sasuke snapped at him. "You shut the fuck up you fucking drug-"

"No Sasuke, _you_ shut up! You have lost your right to any say in this house concerning _anything_! Your brother and I have discussed it and come to the decision that he, Itachi, will inherit the company _solely_."

Sasuke's mind went blank with shock. His shoulders slumped. With wide eyes and a parted mouth, Sasuke turned back to his father, stared at him. "Alone? ...By himself?"

Fugaku nodded.

Sasuke blinked, wrapped himself in his thoughts. _'I...I did it...I_ won_..." _He let out a startled laugh, something caught between relief and disbelief. He glanced at Itachi. "So...you get it all to yourself." He chuckled, "What a surprise."

Itachi sniggered. "Don't worry otouto, I'll be sure to send you my love."

Sasuke closed his eyes and smiled. "Like I need it," he said sarcastically.

"And as for you, Sasuke,"

He averted his attention back to his father.

Fugaku frowned deeply at his second son. "I've had just about enough of you."

**x-X-0-X-x**

Naruto groaned with annoyance as he trudged to the door. He was in nothing but his boxers, but he had been napping so whoever had to balls to come knocking at his door and wake him up would just have to deal with it. He growled as the pounding continued. "I said I was _coming_! Damn, don't break your fucking wrist, shit." He placed a hand on the doorknob and turned the lock with his thumb, pulling open the door.

His blue eyes widened and he felt heat rush up his neck when he was met with a dark-haired Uchiha at the other side of the door. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke chuckled. "Hey dobe."

Naruto stepped outside and left his entrance opened a crack, grinning up at the other boy. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were going back home?"

Sasuke turned away with a smile. "Well, if you don't want me here, I'll leave."

Naruto grabbed his wrist. "That's not what I meant, you ass. And why did you knock? You have your own key."

"I know how you are about privacy and 'personal space'."

Naruto snorted. "Don't bullshit me; I know you couldn't care less about that. You fucked me in the school bathroom."

Sasuke closed his eyes and tilted his head. "Tch, true." He opened them and grinned down at the other boy. "But don't frown like you didn't enjoy it."

Naruto laughed at him and looked down, catching eye of a suitcase by Sasuke's feet. He raised a brow and pointed at it. "What's that for?" A sudden thought flashed across his mind, remembering Sasuke's college plans. He looked up at him, flicking his eyes across the other's face."Hey...you're not going somewhere, are you?"

Sasuke blinked and looked down at the small, bulging rectangle. He smirked. "Oh that... No actually, I got kicked out."

Naruto flinched and dropped the boy's wrist, a grin stretching his lips. "You're kidding! _You _got kicked out?"

Sasuke playfully whacked his head. "Only because of _you_ and _your_ damn lessons. So, I was thinking that you could take responsibility for this monster you created and take him in?"

Naruto laughed and crossed his arms, leaning against the frame of the door and looking half-lidded at Sasuke. "Only on one condition."

Sasuke chuckled and stuffed his hands in his pockets, staring back at the boy. "And what might that be?"

Naruto moved his hands to his hips and held his head up haughtily. "You buy me as many toys as I want."

Sasuke slumped and sweat-dropped. He had been hoping the condition would've been a little..._dirtier_. "I'm not buying you anymore more water-guns to soak me with, Naruto."

Naruto smirked and stepped forward. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, bringing his head down and shaking his own slowly from side to side. "Teme, teme, teme..." Naruto stared at Sasuke. "C'mon now," And with a smile, he threaded his fingers through ebony hair, chuckling under his breath. "Who said _anything _about water-guns?"

**-End-

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**I'm aware there are still questions about this. To name a few: The relationship between Itachi and Orochimaru? What the hell happened to Sasuke's original friends? Fugaku finding out about Sasuke's tattoo? Has Naruto really gotten over Kyuubi?**

**All of which will be answered in the sequel, "Of Memories and Promises." I will update this story with a notice when the sequel has been posted.**

**I hope you enjoyed. Reviews are welcomed :)  
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